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A UTHOR : 


HIGGINSON,  THOMAS 

WENTWORTH 


TITLE: 


ENGLISH  HISTORY  FOR 
AMERICAN  READERS 

PL  A  CE: 

NEW  YORK 

[C1893] 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES 
PRESERVATION  DEPARTMENT 


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942 
H53511 


Higginson,  Thomas  Wentworth,  1823-1911. 

English  liistory  for  Aiiieridkn  readers.  By  Thomas 
VVentworth  Iligginsou  ...  and  Edward  Clianniug  ...  New 
lork,  Longmans,  Green,  and  co.,  1893. 

j9.jJ..n'^"'  ^^  P-  '"^^-  »^'"s.,  port./geneal.  tab.     front.,  maps   (part  fold.) 
"A  list  of  some  useful  books  for  consultation":  p.  iviij-xii. 


■I 


author''  f,"i^~,'^''='— C°"iPc>'<ls.         i.  Channing,  Edward,  1856-        joint 


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.*■'}■ 


ENGLISH    HISTORY 


FOR 


AMERICAN    READERS 


I 


* 


I 

■ 

I 


ENGLISH    HISTORY 


FOR 


AMERICAN    READERS 


BY 


THOMAS   WENTWORTH    HIGGINSON 

AUTHOR   OF   "YOUNG   FOLKS'    HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED  STATES,"   ETC. 


AND 


EDWARD    CHANNING 


ASSISTANT   PROFESSOR   OF   HISTORY   IN    HARVARD   UNIVERSITY 


NEW  YORK 
LONGMANS,  GREEN,  AND  CO. 

15  East  Sixteenth  Street 

1893 


Copyrti^ht,  189S, 
By  Longmans,  Green,  and  Co. 


John  Wilson  and  Son,  Cambridge,  U.  S.  A. 


S 


IB 


PREFACE. 


an 


nPHE  name  '*  English  History  for  American  Readers," 
which  suggests  the  key-note  of  this  book,  is  based 
on  the  simple  fact  that  it  is  not  the  practice  of  American 
readers,  old  or  young,  to  give  to  English  history  more 
than  a  very  limited  portion  of  their  hours  of  study. 
However  much  we  may  regret  this  fact,  it  is  undeniable. 
This  being  the  case,  it  seems  clear  that  such  readers 
will  use  their  time  to  the  best  advantage  if  they  devote 
it  mainly  to  those  events  in  English  annals  which  have 
had  the  most  direct  influence  on  the  history  and  institu- 
tions of  our  own  land.     For  instance,  an  English  reader 
might  regard  the  acquisition  of  the  Indian  Empire  as 
an  event  rivalling  in  importance  the  rise  and  growth  of 
Puritanism  in  the  English  Church ;    but  there  can  be 
no  comparison  in  the  relative  importance  of  these  two 
events  to  an  American.     Every  American  sees  in  the 
rise  of  Puritanism  an  essential  factor  in  the  creation  of 
the  thirteen  colonies,  while  the  Indian  Empire  is  simply 
a  matter  of  curiosity  or  wonder.     The  authors  of  this 
book  have  therefore  boldly  ventured  to  modify  in  their 


VI 


PREFACE. 


narrative  the  accustomed  scale  of  proportion ;  while  it 
has  been  their  wish,  in  the  treatment  of  every  detail,  to 
accept  the  best  result  of  modern  English  investigation, 
and  especially  to  avoid  all  unfair  or  one-sided  judgments. 
The  career  of  England  is  too  important  in  the  history 
of  the  human  race  to  be  handled  in  any  petty  or  partisan 

spirit. 

THE   AUTHORS. 


A   LIST   OF   SOME   USEFUL  BOOKS   FOR 

CONSULTATION. 

Books  suitable  for  young  students  are  marked  with  an  asterisk. 

BIBLIOGRAPHIES. 

This  list  is  in  no  sense  a  complete  list  of  authorities.  For  such 
information,  reference  should  be  made  to  the  following  :  — 

Allen,  Wm.  F.     The  Reader's  Guide  to  English  History. 
Gardiner  and  Mullinger.      English  History  for  Students. — 

Contains  an  historical  sketch  by  Gardiner,  and  a  comprehensive 

bibliography  by  Mullinger. 

Lists  may  also  be  found  prefixed  to  the  first  three  volumes  of 
Bright's  English  History^  and  in  Gardiner's  Studejifs  History, 
pp.  loo,  172,  288,  359,  480,  577,  648,  744,  818,  890,  972. 

GENERAL   WORKS. 

Acland  and  RansOxME.  Handbook  in  Outli7ie  of  the  Political 
History  of  England.  —  Arranged  in  three  parallel  columns,  with 
topical  summaries  at  the  end.  The  most  useful  book  of  its  kind 
for  teachers  and  readers. 

Longmans'  Summary  of  English  History. 

Gardiner,  S.  R.  A  Studertf  s  History  of  England.  1023  pages. 
—  The  best  single-volume  history  of  England,  profusely  illus- 
trated, but  without  maps.  The  latter  are  provided  in  the  follow- 
ing volume :  — 

Gardiner,  S.  R.  Atlas  of  English  History.  —  Contains  88  maps 
or  plans. 

Brewer,  J.  S.,  Editor.     The  Studenfs  Hume, 


VIU 


A  LIST  OF  SOME   USEFUL  BOOKS 


Green,  J.  R.  A  Short  History  of  the  English  People,  i  vol. 
—  Also  printed  in  parts,  and  in  a  profusely  illustrated  edition 
in  three  volumes. 

Macaulay,  Lord.  History  of  England.  —  The  introductory  mat- 
ter in  vol.  i.  is  especially  valuable. 

Mahan,  a.  T.     The  Influence  of  Sea  Power  on  History. 

Green,  John  Richard,  Editor.    Readings  from  English  History. 

Wheeler,  A.  M.,  Editor.     Sketches  from  English  History. 

Among  the  longer  works  may  be  mentioned,  — 

Bright,  G.  F.  A  History  of  England.  4  vols.  L,  449-1485 
(PP-  354);  n.,  1485-1688  (pp.  449);  III.,  1689-1837  (pp.  666); 
IV.,  1837-1880  (pp.  577).  —  Well  supplied  with  maps  and  tables. 

Green,  J.  R.    A  History  of  the  English  People.     4  vols. 

Knight,  Charles.  Popular  History  of  England.  —  Profusely 
illustrated. 

rp  rL    p  >^  History  of  England,  for  the  Use  of  Schools, 

In  Three  Parts.     With  Maps  and  Plans. 

Part  I.     From  the  Earliest  Times  to  the  Death  of  Henry 

VII.     By  F.  York  Powell. 
Part  III.     Williar?  and  Mary  to  the  Present  Time.     By 
T.  F.  Tout. 
Powell,  F.  York,  Editor.    English  History  from  Contemporary 
Writers;  especially 
Ashley,  W.  J.     Edward  III. 
Hutton,  W.  H.     Misrule  of  Henry  III. 
HUTTON,  W.  H.     Simon  of  Montfort. 
Hutton,  W.  H.     S.  Thomas  of  Canterbury. 
Henderson,  E.  F.     Select  Historical  Docmnents  from  the  Middle 
Ages.  —  The  first  165  pp.  contain  documents  illustrating  English 
history  before  1349. 
Gardiner,  S.  R.     Documents  illustrating  the  Piiritan  Rebellion. 

Among  the  books  designed  for  children  the  following  may  be 
mentioned,  — 

♦Creighton,  Louise.    A  First  History  of  England.    Illustrated. 
♦Gardiner,  S.  R.     English  History  for  Voung  Folks. 
*Yonge,  Charlotte  M.     Young  Folks'  History  of  England. 


FOR  CONSULTATION. 


IX 


*  Fisher,  Mrs.  Arabella  B.  [Buckley].    History  of  England 
for  Beginners. 

*  Creighton,   Mandell,   Editor.    Epochs  of  English  History. 

I  vol. 

Also  printed  separately  in  eight  small  cloth-covered   volumes 
with  the  following  titles :  — 

Powell,  F.  York.     Early  England  to  the  Norman  Conquest. 
Creighton,  Mrs.  Mandell.      England  a   Continental  Power, 

from  the  Conquest  to  the  Great  Charter. 
Rowley,  James.     The  Rise  of  the  People,  and  the  Growth  of 

Parliament. 
Creighton,  Mandell.     The  Tudors  and  the  Reformation. 
Gardiner,  Mrs.  S.  R.     The  Struggle  against  Absolute  Monarchy. 
Rowley,  James.     The  Settlement  of  the  Constitution. 
Tancock,    Rev.    O.    W.     England  during  the  American  and 

Etiropean   Wars. 
Browning,  Oscar.    Modern  England. 


SPECIAL  WORKS. 

Arranged  chronologically  according  to  contents. 

Freeman,  E.  A.     Old  English  History. 

Hughes,  Thomas.    Life  of  King  Alfred. 

Freeman,   E.   A.      Willia?n    the    Conqueror    (Twelve    English 

Statesmen). 
*  Freeman,  E.  A.    A  Short  History  of  the  Norman  Conquest. 
Stubbs,  W.     Early  Plantagenets  (Epochs  of  History). 
Green,  Mrs.  J.  R.     Henry  II.  (Twelve  English  Statesmen). 
Maurice,  C.  E.     Stephen  Langton  (English   Popular   Leaders 

Series). 
Longman,  W.    Edward  III. 

Oman,  C.  W.  C.     The  Art  of  War  in  the  Middle  Ages. 
Ashley,  W.  J.     An  Introduction  to  English  Economic  History. 
Seligman,  E.  R.  a.     Two  Chapters  in  the  History  of  the  Medi- 

ceval  Guilds  of  England. 
Palgrave,  Sir  F.     The  Merchant  and  the  Friar. 
Seebohm,  F.     The  Oxford  Reformers  (Colet,  Erasmus,  More). 


A   LIST   OF   SOME   USEFUL  BOOKS 


Creighton,     Mandell.      Cardinal    VVolsey    (Twelve    English 

Statesmen). 
Creighton,    Mandell.      The   Age    of  Elizabeth   (Epochs    of 

History). 

Beesley,  E.  S.     Queen  Elizabeth  (Twelve  English  Statesmen). 

Payne.     Elizabethan  Seamen. 

Cordery,  B.  M.  (iMrs.  S.  R.  Gardiner)  and  Phillpotts.  The 
King  and  Commonwealth. 

Gardiner,  S.  R.     The  Puritan  Revolution  (Epochs  kjI  History). 

Smith,  Goldwin.  Three  English  Statesmen  (John  Pym,  Oliver 
Cromwell,  William  Pitt). 

Boyle,  G.  D.  Selections  from  Clarendon's  History  of  the  [Puri- 
tan'] Rebellion. 

GuizoT,  F.     Oliver  Cromwell. 

Harrison,  Frederic.  Oliver  Cromwell  (Twelve  English  States- 
men). 

Carlyle,  Thomas.     Letters  and  Speeches  of  Oliver  Cromwell. 

Hannay,  D.     Admiral  Blake. 

Traill,  H.  D.     William  III.  (Twelve  English  Statesmen). 

Lecky,  W.  E.  H.  History  of  England  in  the  Eighteenth  Cen- 
tury. 8  vols.  —  A  new  and  convenient  edition  has  been  published, 
in  which  the  portions  dealing  more  particularly  with  Ireland  are 
printed  separately. 

Morris,  E.  E.     The  Age  of  Anne  (Epochs  of  History). 

Morley,  John.    Sir  Robert  Walpole  (Twelve  English  Statesmen). 

Trevelyan,  G.  O.     Early  History  of  Charles  yames  Fox. 

RoSEBERY,  Lord.     William  Pitt  (Twelve  English  Statesmen). 

Russell,  W.  Clark.    Lord  Nelson. 

Martineau,  Harriet.  History  of  England  during  the  Thirty 
Years'"  Peace  (1816-46). 

Walpole,  Spencer.  A  History  of  England  from  the  Conclusion 
of  the  Great  War  in  181 5  (to  1857). 

McCarthy,  J.     Epoch  of  Reform  (Epochs  of  History). 

McCarthy,  J.     A  History  of  our  Own  Times. 

Thursfield.     Robert  Peel. 

Morley,  John.    Richard  Cobden. 

Froude,  J.  a.    Lord  Beaconsfeld  (Twelve  English  Statesmen). 


FOR  CONSULTATION. 


XI 


CONSTITUTIONAL   WORKS. 

Amos,  Sheldon.  A  Primer  of  the  English  Constitution  and 
Government. 

*  Creighton,  Louise.     The  Government  of  England. 

*  Fonblanque,  a.  de.     How  we  are  governed. 
Ransome,  C.     Rise  of  Constitutional  Government  in  England. 
Creasy,  E.     The  English  Constitution. 

Taylor,  Hannis.     Origin  and  Growth  of  the  English  Consti- 

ttition. 
Taswell-Langmead,    T.    P.      English  Co7istitutional  History^ 
from  the  Teutonic  Conquest  to  the  Present  Time. 

The  following  three  works  form  together  a  comprehensive  treat- 
ment of  the  subject :  — 

Stubbs,  W.  Constitutional  History  of  Engla7id  in  its  Origin  and 
Developfnent.     3  vols. 

Hallam,  H.  Constitutional  History  of  Ejtglajid from  the  Acces- 
sion of  Henry  VII.  to  the  death  of  George  II.  3  vols. ;  American 
edition  in  2  vols. 

May,  T.  E.  Constitutional  History  of  England,  1760- 1860. 
3  vols. ;   American  edition  in  2  vols. 


MINOR   WORKS. 


*  Creighton,  Louise.     Stories  from  English  History. 
Creighton,  Louise.     Social  History  of  Engla?id. 
*YoNGE,  Charlotte  M.     Cajneos  from  English  History. 

*  Jones,  M.     Stories  of  the  Olden   Time^  from  De  Joinville  and 

Froissart. 

*  Lanier,  Sidney,  Editor.     The  Bofs  Froissart. 

*  Edgar,  John  G.     The  Wars  of  the  Roses. 
*Gilman,  Arthur,  Editor.     Magna  Chart  a  Stories. 
*Kingsley,    Rose    G.      The   Children   of  Westminster  Abbey. 
EwALD.     Stories  from  the  State  Papers. 


Xll 


A  LIST  OF  SOME  USEFUL  BOOKS. 


*  Dickens,  Charles.    A  Child's  History  of  England. 
♦RiDEiNG,  William  H.     Young  Folks'  History  of  London. 
♦Brown,  Cornelius.     Trtte  Stories  of  the  Reign  of  Victoria. 

*  Valentine,  Mrs.  R.    Sea  Fights  and  Land  Battles. 

*  Bishop,  Coleman  E.,  Editor.    Pictures  from  English  History. 
♦Scott,  Sir  Walter.     Tales  of  a  Grandfather. 
♦Strickland,  Agnes.     Tales  from  English  History,  for  Chil- 
dren. 


CHRONOLOGICAL    TABLE    OF    CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    L 

Early  Britain. 
Date.  Page 

Continuity  of  English  and  American  History i 

Early  British  Races 2 

The  Gaels 3 

The  Britons 4 

Mode  of  Life 4 

Religion 5 

iStonehenge 5 

Roman  Conquest  of  Britain 7 

Roman  Walls  and  Roads 7-8 

A.  D.  410    Roman  Army  withdrawn g 


CHAPTER    n. 


How  Britain  became  England  (449-827  a.d.). 

449  Coming  of  the  Jutes 10 

The  Saxons ti 

TheEngUsh.    .    .' ,^ 

Religion  of  the  English 13 

Institutions  :  the  Township,  Hundred,  and  County  ...  14 

The  Land  System        14 

The  Meeting  of  the  Wise  Men 15 

Conversion  of  the  English  to  Christianity 15 

827  England  united  by  Egbert  of  Wessex       16 


XIV 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


XV 


CHAPTER  JIL 

The  Northmen  in  England  (827-1042). 
Date.  Page 

The  Vikings 17 

879            Treaty  of  Wedmore 18 

871-901     King  Alfred  of  Wessex 18 

St.  Dunstan 19 

1017-35     Cnut  the  Dane,  King  of  England 19 

The  Earldoms 22 

CHAPTER    IV. 

The  Norman  Conquest  (1042-1087). 

1066            Harold,  Son  of  Godwin,  chosen  King 23 

1066            Battle  of  Senlac,  or  Hastings 24 

1066-87       William  the  Conqueror 25 

His  Claim  to  the  English  Throne 25 

Effect  of  the  Conquest 26 

Continuity  of  English  History 26 

1086            Domesday  Book 27 

1086  Oath  of  Salisbury  Plain 27 

Influence  of  the  Catholic  Church  on  England 28 

The  New  Forest 28 

London  Tower  and  Westminster  Hall 29 

1087  William's  Death 29 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Norman  Kings  (1087-1154). 

1087-1100  William  II.,  the  Red 30 

His  Extravagance 3° 

His  Death 3' 

1100-35      Henry  1 3' 

Conquers  Normandy 32 

The  White  Ship 32 

Geoffrey  of  Anjou  marries  Maud 33 

1135-54      Stephen 33 

CivU  War 34 


/ 


Date. 
1154-89 

1164 

1189-99 


1215 


1265 
1265 


CHAPTER  VI. 
The  First  Two  Plantagenets  (ii 54-1199). 

Henry  II 

His  Reforms ^^ 

Shield-money *     '         '  ^ 

Constitutions  of  Clarendon    •...'..[''  ^f: 

Conquest  of  Ireland •     •     •     •  3 

Henry's  sons 

Richard  I '.*.*..*. ^^ 

Richard's  Death    .......,[ ^^ 

His  Place  in  England's  History      .* ^^ 

CHAPTER   Vn. 

King  John  and  Magna  Charta  (1199-1216). 

Prince  Arthur 

Philip  of  France  seizes  Normandy  and  Anjou       .    ...    41 

The  Interdict 

John  submits  to  the  Pope       

Magna  Charta 

John's  Death     ....         ' ^^ 

44 

CHAPTER  Vin. 
Hfnry  IIL  (1216-1272). 

Earl  of  Simon  of  Montfort 

Earl  Simon's  Parliament * ^o 

Battle  of  Evesham    ....  o 

40 


CHAPTER   IX. 

The  First  Two  Edwards    (127 2-1327). 

1272-1307  Edward  I 

1276-1284  Conquers  Wales  .......    \    ] ^° 

Prince  of  Wales ^° 

The  Welsh  Bards      ..'.'.*!.*]    1    [ ^° 


■■tiiM     ItTltfc.  *  WK.  ^*'*    ^   tlJSf-  ^n 


XVI 
Date. 

1296 
1298 

»29S 

1297 

1307-27 

1307-12 

1314 
1327 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE   OF  CONTENTS. 

Page 

Balliol  and  Bruce 5' 

Conquest  of  Scotland 5^ 

Sir  William  Wallace 52 

Battle  of  Falkirk        52 

Robert  Bruce 52 

The  First  Perfect  Parliament 53 

Its  Composition 53 

Confirmation  of  the  Charters 54 

Edward  II 54 

Piers  Gaveston 54 

Bruce  in  Scotland 55 

Battle  of  Bannockburn 55 

The  Irish 55 

The  Despensers •     •  55 

Murder  of  the  King 5^ 


CHAPTER   X. 


1327-30 
1333 

1340 

1346 

134M7 
1348-50 

1356 
1360 

1333 
1353 


1349 


Edward  III.  (1327-1377). 

Supremacy  of  Mortimer 57 

Battle  of  Halidon  Hill 57 

Cause  of  the  Wars  with  France 59 

Sea-fight  at  Sluys 60 

Battle  of  Cressy ^ 

Siege  of  Calais 62 

The  "Black  Death" 62 

Battle  of  Poitiers ^3 

Peace  of  Bretigny ^3 

Parliament  separates  into  two  Houses 65 

Statute  of  Praemunire ^ 

John  Wycliffe  and  the  Lollards       66 

Copyhold  Tenure °7 

Statute  of  Laborers 67 


1381 
1399 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Richard  II.  (i377-i399)- 

The  Peasants'  Revolt 68 

Abdication  of  Richard 7° 

Henry  of  Lancaster's  Claims  to  the  Crown 72 


CHRONOLOGICAL   TABLE   OF  CONTENTS.  xvii 

CHAPTER  XIL 

England  in  the  Fourteenth  Century. 
Date.  page 

Trade       ^^ 

Financial  Policy 74 

Clothes jA 

Commerce y^ 

i                   The  Guilds yc 

Rise  of  the  English  Language 76 

CHAPTER   XIII. 
The  First  two  Lancastrian  Kings  (i 399-1422). 

139^1413  Henry  IV 77 

Rise  of  the  Commoners 77 

Maintenance 78 

1413-22       Henry  V 78 

Renewal  of  the  War  with  France 79 

141 5  Battle  of  Agincourt g© 

1420  Treaty  of  Troyes       go 

CHAPTER   XIV. 

Henry  VI.  (1422-1460). 

Regency  of  Bedford  and  Gloucester 82 

1428-53      Loss  of  France S2 

1450  Jack  Cade's  Rebellion g-j 

1460  Richard  of  York  claims  the  Throne 83 

1455  The  Wars  of  the  Roses  begin 84 

1461  Edward  I.  of  York  crowned  King 84 

Forty-shilling  Freeholders 85 


CHAPTER   XV. 

The  Yorkist  Kings  (1461-1485). 

1461-83      Edward  IV 86 

1475  Invasion  of  France 87 

1478  Murder  of  the  Duke  of  Clarence 87 

6 


XVI 11 

Date. 

1483 
1483-85 

1485 


CHRONOLOGICAL   TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 

Page 

Edward  V 88 

Richard  III 88 

The  Tudors  and  their  Claims 88 

Battle  of  Bosworth 9° 


Date. 

1536 
1539 
1540 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE   OF   CONTENTS.  xix 

Page 

Execution  of  Anne  Boleyn jQg 

The  Six  Acts jq3 

Fall  of  Cromwell jog 

Last  Years  of  Henry  VIII iqq 


1513 


1533 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

Social  Changes  during  the  Fifteenth  Century. 

End  of  the  Middle  Ages 91 

Printing 9^ 

Abolition  of  Villeinage 92 

Loss  of  Power  by  Parliament 93 

Money  Bills 94 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

Henry  VIL  (1485-1509). 

Henry's  Home  Policy 95 

The  Pretenders,  Simnel  and  Warbeck 9S~9^ 

Henry's  Foreign  Policy 9^ 

Court  of  Star  Chamber 96 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

Henry  VIII.  (i 509-1 547). 

The  Spanish  Marriage 98 

War  with  France  and  Scotland 100 

Battle  of  Flodden 10° 

Cardinal  Wolsey lo^ 

The  Divorce  from  Katherine 102 

Henry's  Personal  Rule io3 

The  Statute  against  Appeals  to  Rome 104 

Destruction  of  the  Monasteries 106 

Effect  of  this  Destruction 107 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Edward  VL  (1547-1553)- 

Protector  Somerset m 

1547  The  Scottish  War m 

1551  Fall  of  Somerset 112 

Lady  Jane  Grey 112 


CHAPTER   XX. 
Mary  the  Catholic  (i 553-1 558). 

Mary's  Policy       ^ jj . 

1554  Marriage  with  Philip  of  Spain u^ 

1554  Risings  in  England 115 

The  Martyrs jjg 


CHAPTER  XXL 
Elizabeth  (i 558-1603). 

Character  of  the  Reign ,iq 

William  Cecil,  Lord  Burleigh !    .  121 

The  Church  of  England 12^ 

The  Puritans 

•••••••••..1 24 

The  Roman  Catholics 12  r 

Mary,  Queen  of  Scots 126 

Foreign  Policy J28 

1569-86      Roman  Catholic  Plots '.'.'.*.*.!  129 

Court  of  High  Commission       j^q 

1587  Execution  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots '     '  131 

1588  The  Invincible  Armada 1^2 

The  English  in  Ireland j^^ 

Elizabethan  Settlement  of  Ireland -135 

Elizabeth's  Last  Years 137 


it 


4 


XX  CHRONOLOGICAL   TABLE   OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   XXIL 

State  of  Society. 
Date.  Page 

Commerce 140 

Architecture 140 

The  Poor  Law 142 

Literature 142 


CHAPTER   XXIH. 

James  L  (1603-1625). 

His  Character 144 

Sir  Walter  Raleigh 146 

1605  The  Gunpowder  Plot 146 

The  Puritans 149 

"The  Spanish  Marriage" 151 

The  "  Divine  Right  of  Kings  " 151 

1621  Impeachment  of  Bacon 151 

162 1  The  Great  Protestation 152 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 
Charles  I.  (162 5-1649). 

The  French  Marriage,  and  War  with  France     ....  153 

1627  The  Attempt  to  relieve  La  Rochelle 154 

1628  The  Petition  of  Right       154 

1629  Sir  John  Eliot's  Resolutions 157 

1629-40      Personal  Government  of  the  King 1 58 

Archbishop  Laud  and  the  Puritans 159 

Ship-money 160 

1637  Hampden's  Case 160 

The  Scottish  Church 163 

1639  The  First  Bishops'  War 164 

1646  The  Short  Parliament 165 

1640  The  Second  Bishops'  War 165 

1640-60      The  Long  Parliament 165 

164 1  Execution  of  Strafford 166 

Constitutional  Reforms 167 


I 


Date. 

1 641 
1641 
1642 
1642 


1643 


1644 

1645 
1645 


1648 
1648 
1648 
1649 
1649 


1650 
1651 

1653 
1653 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE   OF  CONTENTS.  xxi 

Page 

The  Patriots  disagree  about  Religion 168 

The  Irish  Rebellion 168 

The  Grand  Remonstrance 168 

The  Attempt  to  arrest  the  Five  Members       168 

Civil  War  begins 170 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

The  Civil  Wars  (1642-1649). 

Death  of  John  Hampden  and  of  John  Pym 172 

Oliver  Cromwell 173 

Cromwell's  Ironsides 173 

Battle  of  Marston  Moor 17c 

The  Self-denying  Ordinance 176 

•'  The  New  Model  "  Army,  and  Battle  of  Naseby   .     .     .  176 

Charles  flees  to  the  Scots 177 

The  Independents 177 

The  Army  seizes  the  King 178 

The  Scots  invade  England 179 

Battle  of  Preston 179 

"  Pride's  Purge  " 179 

Execution  of  the  King 180 

Cromwell  in  Ireland 181 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 
The  Commonwealth  (1649-1653). 

Charles  II.  in  Scotland 182 

Battle  of  Dunbar 183 

Battle  of  Worcester 183 

The  "Rump "expelled 186 

Barebone's  Parliament 186 

The  Instrument  of  Government 186 


\ 


L.^...-.  ^aa-vi»i.M.  jiaii, ■to.^.rt*..  ■■-.■^•jjgijas:ufc.<-.J».t«iUri>...ailUrim^jtf-- 


f.A--iA>am.fflaa«ij 


xxii  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE  OF   CONTENTS. 


Date. 

1657 
1658 
1660 


CHAPTER  XXVIL 

The  Protectorate  (1653-1659). 

Page 

Oliver,  Lord  Protector 188 

The  Major-Generals 189 

War  with  the  Dutch 189 

The  Petition  and  Advice 190 

Death  of  Cromwell - 192 

The  Restoration I93 

Puritan  Ideas ^94 


I 

I 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE   OF  CONTENTS.         xxiii 

Date.  Page 

1688  Declaration  of  Indulgence 211 

Birth  of  the  Old  Pretender 212 

1688  The  Seven  Bishops  acquitted 212 

The  Invitation  to  William  of  Orange 213 

/ov^'  \    William  lands  at  Torbay 213 

t  light  of  James 214 

The  Jacobites 214 

The  Convention 215 

1689  Declaration  of  Right .  215 


CHAPTER   XXX. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 
The  Restored  Stuarts  (1660-1688). 

1660-85      Charles  II 196 

1660  Act  of  Indemnity  and  Oblivion 198 

The  Regicides 198 

1661-79      The  Cavalier  Parliament 199 

1661  Corporation  Act 199 

1665  The  Plague 200 

The  Dissenters 200 

1666  The  Great  Fire 201 

1666-67       War  with  the  Dutch 202 

1670            The  Secret  Treaty  of  Dover 203 

1672  Declaration  of  Indulgence 204 

1673  The  Test  Act 204 

1678  Popish  Plot 205 

1679  Habeas  Corpus  Act 206 

1680-81       Exclusion  Bills 207 

1683            Rye-House  Plot       207 

1685-88      James  II 208 

1685            Monmouth's  Rebellion 208 

CHAPTER   XXIX. 
The  "Glorious  Revolution"  of  1688-1689. 

The  Case  of  Sir  Edward  Hales 210 

Revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes 210 


The  First  Constitutional  Monarchs. 

1689-1702  William  and  Mary  , 216 

The  Mutiny  Bill       216 

The  Nonjurors 217 

16S9            Siege  of  Londonderry 218 

1690            Battle  of  the  Boyne 219 

1690           Battle  off  Beachy  Head 220 

1692            Battle  of  La  Hogue 221 

1694  Bank  of  England  established 221 

1695  Liberty  of  the  Press 222 

1692            Massacre  of  Glencoe 222 

1702-14      Queen  Anne 224 

1704           Battle  of  Blenheim 224 

1704            Seizure  of  Gibraltar 226 

1707            Union  with  Scotland 227 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 

George  I.  f  17 14-1727). 

1701            Act  of  Succession,  or  Settlement 229 

1715            Jacobite  Plot 230 

1715  Riot  Act 230 

1716  Septennial  Act 230 

1720            South-Sea  Bubble 230 

1721-42       Sir  Robert  Walpole,  Prime  Minister 232 

Walpole's  Policy 233 


.^A!Fa.£  fl-s-  ;A'^.A6M!!taari.J!h-<wfe>.<fe^T!fcJ 


\ 


xxiv         CHRONOLOGICAL   TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   XXXIL 


Date. 


1739 

1744-54 

1745 
1746 

1751 

1754-63 
1756-^3 


'763 


1765 
1765 

1766 

1768 

1773 
1774 

^77S 
1776 
1776 
1777 

1778 


1780 
1780 


George  1L  (1727-1760). 

Page 

Queen  Caroline 2x1 

The  Methodists ^- . 

•     •  •^J4 

War  with  Spain ^^a 

War  with  Prussia  and  France 216 

Pelham  Ministry 2^6 

Stuart  Rising 236 

Battle  of  CuUoden 2^8 

New  Style  adopted 239 

Causes  of  the  French  and  Indian  War  in  America      .     .  240 

The  Seven  Years'  War  in  Europe 240 

William  Pitt 242 


CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

George  IIL  (1760-1820):  part  i.  (1760-1783). 

Character  of  the  New  King 244 

Peace  of  Paris 245 

John  Wilkes 246 

The  North  American  Colonies 248 

The  Stamp  Act 249 

The  Regency  Question 249 

Stamp  Act  repealed 250 

"  The  King's  Friends  " 251 

Wilkes  and  the  Middlesex  Election 251 

The  Boston  Tea  Party 253 

The  Boston  Port  Act  and  other  Oppressive  Measures  254 

Lexington  and  Concord 254 

The  Declaration  of  Independence 255 

The  Surprise  at  Trenton 255 

Burgoyne's  Surrender       256 

The  French  Alliance         257 

Lord  North's  Plan  of  Reconciliation 257 

Economical  Reform 258 

Lord  George  Gordon  Riots       258 

The  Southern  Campaigns 259 

Arnold's  Treason 260 


Date. 

1781 
1782 
1782 
1782 
1783 


1783 

1783-1801 
1784 

1788 
1788 
1789 

1793 

1797 
1798 
1798 

1779 

1791 

1796-98 

1801 

1803 

1801-4 

1802 

1803 

1805 

1803-6 

1806-7 

1807-27 

1809-14 


181S 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE   OF  CONTENTS.  xxv 

Page 

Capture  of  Yorktown 261 

End  of  the  North  Ministry 261 

The  Second  Rockingham  Ministry 262 

Independence  of  the  United  States  acknowledged      .    .    264 
Conclusion  of  the  War 26t; 

CHAPTER   XXXIV. 
George  IIL    Part  ii.  (1783-1820). 

The  "  Coalition  " 266 

Fox's  India  Bill 266 

William  Pitt,  Prime  Minister 267 

Pitt's  India  Bill 268 

Pitt's  financial  policy 269 

Trial  of  Warren  Hastings  begins 269 

The  Regency  Struggle 269 

The  French  Revolution 271 

France  declares  War  against  England ^yi 

Pitt's  Policy .*    .'  272 

Mutinies  in  the  Fleet 272 

French  invasion  of  Egypt 272 

Battle  of  the  Nile 273 

Ireland  in  the  Eighteenth  Century 27-? 

The  "Volunteers" '    '    '    '  J 

The  "  United  Irishmen  "      ........,',    ]  "Jyl 

Rebellion  in  Ireland    ....  ^^. 

1  he  Union 

Emmett's  Rebellion     .     .  ^Jl 

•• 27  s 

The  Addington  Ministry 27  c 

Peace  of  Amiens      ...                                      *    '     '         „«l 
,-^  270 

War  renewed /- 

Battle  off  Trafalgar      ........     *    .*     *    *         276 

Pitt's  Second  Ministry      ...'.'.'.'.    \    .''    277 
Ministry  of  "All  the  Talents"      ........     277 

The  Tory  Ministry       *    *     277 

The  Spanish  Resistance  to  Napoleon -279 

The  Peninsular  War .*     *     '>7q 

Napoleon's  Downfall '.*.*.*.*     281 

War  of  181 2  with  the  United  States      ....!*.*     281 

Battle  of  Waterloo .*    !     !         282 

Agricultural  Distress .282 


xxvi         CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE   OF  CONTENTS. 

Date.  Page 

Corn  Law  of  1816 283 

Commercial  Depression 283 

The  Luddites , 283 

1819            The  Manchester  Massacre 284 

1819            The  Six  Acts 285 

1810-20      The  Regency       286 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

George  IV.  (1820-1830). 

Queen  Caroline 286 

George  Canning  and  the  Monroe  Doctrine 287 

1828-30       Wellington-Peel  Ministry 287 

Daniel  O'Connell 288 

1829  Catholic  Emancipation 289 


CHAPTER   XXXVI. 

William  IV.  (1830-1837). 

Character  of  the  new  King 291 

Causes  of  Discontent 291 

1830-34      The  Grey  Ministry 293 

'^30~32      The  Struggle  for  Reform 293 

1832  The  First  Reform  Act 294 

1833  Emancipation  of  Slaves 295 

1833  The  Factory  Act 295 

1834  Reform  of  the  Poor  Law       296 

1834-35       Peel- Wellington  Ministry 296 

1835-41       Second  Melbourne  Ministry 296 


CHAPTER   XXXVII. 
Victoria  (1837-        ). 

Difficulties  of  the  Ministry 297 

1840  The  Canada  Act 299 

1839  The  Bedchamber  Question 300 

1841-46       Sir  Robert  Peel's  Ministry 300 

Overthrow  of  the  Protective  Policy 301 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE   OF  CONTENTS.       XXVll 

Date.  Page 

The  Anti-Corn-Law  League 302 

1844-49      The  Irish  Famine ' 303 

1846            Repeal  of  the  Corn  Laws 303 

1846-52       Lord  John  Russell's  Ministry 305 

"  Young  Ireland  " 306 

The  "  Clearances  "       306 

The  Chartists 306 

1 851  Dismissal  of  Lord  Palmerston 307 

1852  The  First  Derby  Ministry 308 

1852-55      The  Aberdeen  Ministry 308 

1854-56      The  Crimean  \var 308 

1855-58       First  Palmerston  Ministry         309 

1857-58      The  Sepoy  Mutiny       309 

1858-59       Second  Derby-Disraeli  Ministry 311 

1858  Jews  admitted  to  Parliament 311 

1859  The  "  P^ancy  Franchises " 311 

1859-65      Second  Palmerston  Ministry 312 

Gladstone's  Financial  Policy 313 

The  Cotton  Famine 313 

England's  Policy  during  the  Civil  War 314 

The  "Alabama" 3^4 

1865-68      Derby-Disraeli  Ministry 315 

1868            The  Second  Reform  Act       3^5 

1868  Compulsory  Church  Rates  abolished 315 

1868-74      First  Gladstone  Ministry 3^6 

1869  Disestablishment  of  the  Irish  Church 316 

The  System  of  Landholding  in  Ireland 316 

1870  The  Irish  Land  Act  of  1870 3^9 

The  "  Bright  Clauses  " 320 

1881            Irish  Land  Act  of  1881 •.     .  320 

1 87 1  National  Education 320 

187 1  Reorganization  of  the  Army 3^0 

1872  The  Ballot  Act 321 

1884            Third  Reform  Act 321 

1874-80      The  Disraeli  Ministry 322 

Disraeli's  Imperial  Policy 322 

1876            Congress  of  Berlin 324 

1880            Mr.  Gladstone's  Second  Ministry  begins 324 

The  British  Empire 325 

Conclusion 325 

INDEX 327 


SiJ: 


XXVlll 


GENEALOGIES.  —  MAPS. 


GENEALOGIES. 

Page 

The  Norman  Kings 31 

Succession  to  the  Scottish  Throne  in  1290 51 

Succession  to  the  French  Crown  in  1328 59 

The  Later  Plantagenets 71 

Claims  of  York  and  Lancaster 81 

Lancasters  and  Tudors 89 

The  Howards 102 

The  Tudors no 

The  Stuarts 143 

The  House  of  Hanover 242 


MAPS. 


At  the  beginning: 

1.  Britain  before  the  Norman  Conquest. 

2.  The  Dominions  of  Henry  H. 

At  the  end : 

3.  England  at  the  beginning  of  the  Puritan  Rebellion. 

4.  England  since  the  Restoration. 

Folding  Maps,  after  the  Index. 

5.  The  World,  1772,  |,       .  i/-,t...it- 

6.  The  World,  1892.  \  '^^^^^^^  ^°^'^  °^  '^'  ^"'^'^  ^"^P^^"* 


IMPORTANT   DATES. 


XXIX 


IMPORTANT   DATES. 

Year 

Caesar  in  Britain b.  c.  55 

Coming  of  the  Jutes A.  D.  449 

Egbert  of  Wessex,  Overlord  of  all  England 827 

Treaty  of  Wedmore 878 

Battle  of  Senlac 1066 

Murder  of  Becket 1170 

Magna  Charta 1215 

Simon  of  Montfort's  Parliament 1264 

Confirmation  of  the  Charters 1297 

Battle  of  Bannockbum 1314 

Battle  of  Cressy 1346 

Peace  of  Bretigny 1360 

Battle  of  Agincourt 1415 

Battle  of  Bosworth 1485 

First  Act  of  Supremacy 1534 

Defeat  of  the  Spanish  Armada 1588 

Petition  of  Right 1628 

Battle  of  Naseby 1645 

Battle  of  Worcester 1651 

The  Restoration 1660 

Bill  of  Rights 1689 

Act  of  Settlement 1701 

Union  with  Scotland 1707 

Battle  of  Blenheim 1704 

Peace  of  Paris 1763 

Declaration  of  American  Independence 1776 

Union  with  Ireland 1801 

Battle  of  Trafalgar 1805 

Battle  of  Waterloo 1815 

Catholic  Emancipation 1829 

First  Reform  Act 1832 

Overthrow  of  Protection 1845-46 

Second  Reform  Act 1868 

Disestablishment  of  the  Irish  Church 1869 

First  Irish  Land  Act 1870 

Elementary  Education  Act 1870 

Ballot  Act 1872 

Second  Irish  Land  Act 1881 

Third  Reform  Act 1884 


\ 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Page 

View  of  Stonehenge ■> 5 

Views  of  Farts  of  the  Roman  Wall 8,  9 

Saxon  Horsemen     .     .          ...  16 

Rural  Life  (Eleventh  Century) 20,21 

An  English  Vessel  . 22 

Silver  Penny  (time  of  William  I.) 29 

Seal,  showing  Mounted  Armed  Figure  (time  of  Henry  I.)  .     .     .     .  34 

Effigies  of  Henry  H.  and  Queen  Eleanor 38 

Silver  Penny  (time  of  John) 40 

Royal  Arms  of  England  (Richard  I.  to  Edward  HI.) 45 

Effigy  of  a  Knight,  showing  Armor  worn  between  1 1 90-1 225  ,     .     .  47 

Seal,  showing  Mounted  Knight  in  Mail  Armor  (about  1265)  ...  48 

Armed  Knights  (about  1300) 56 

State  Carriage  (Fourteenth  Century) 58 

Contemporary  View  of  a  Walled  Town  (Fourteenth  Century)     .     .  61 

Tomb  of  Edward  HI.  in  Westminster  Abbey 64 

Rural  Life  (Fourteenth  Century) 69,  70 

Gold  Noble    (time    of   Edward  HL)  :  from  the    Ltittrell  Psalter, 

"  Vetusta  Monumenta " .     .     .     .          72 

Geoffrey  Chaucer  {from  Harl.  MS.  4866) 76 

Effigy  of  Knight  in  Plate-armor  (about  1460) 79 

Royal  Arms  (1408-1603) 85 

A  Fifteenth-Century  Ship 90 

Tudor  Rose 97 

Henry  VHI 99 

Sir  Thomas  More 105 

Angel  of  Henry  VHL  (1543) 113 

Queen  Mary  Tudor 115 

Mounted  Soldier  (1596) 118 

Queen  Elizabeth  (1588)    .     .     . 120 

William  Shakspere      . 122 

Mary,  Queen  of  Scots 127 

Sir  Francis  Drake 133 

William  Cecil,  Lord  Burleigh 138 


) 


^^^^^  LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 

_       ,       .      ,  Page 

Coaches  in  the  Reign  of  Elizabeth , .  j 

Sir  Walter  Raleigh '"!.."     14  c 

James  I ^ 

Charles  I 

I  cc 

The  "Sovereign  of  the  Seas"  (1637) 16, 

Coach  (Seventeenth  Century) .^ 

Military  Equipment  (Seventeenth  Century) .171 

Oliver  Cromwell 

John  Milton I 

Wagon  (Seventeenth  Century) 187 

Charles  II 

197 

Yeomen  of  the  Guard  (Seventeenth  Century)    .     .  ^00 

William  III "si 

,,  215 

Mary  II 

■'  219 

Queen  Anne 

Royal  Arms  (1603-1714) 228 

George  I '231 

Costumes  and  Sedan  Chair  (about  1720) 233 

Sir  Robert  Walpole 23c 

George  II 237 

William  Pitt  (afterwards  Earl  of  Chatham) 241 

Coach  (about  1700) 24-2 

George  IIL  (in  1767) 245 

The  House  of  Commons  in  1741-42 247 

Costumes  of  Persons  of  Quality  (about  1783) 260 

Edmund  Burke 261 

Royal  Arms  (1801-1816) 265 

William  Pitt 268 

Headdress  of  a  Lady  (about  1778) 270 

Lord  Nelson 278 

The  Duke  of  Wellington 280 

George  HI.  in  old  age 284 

George  Canning 288 

Royal  Arms  (1816-1837) 290 

Old  Sarum 292 

Queen  Victoria 298 

Sir  Robert  Peel ^04 

Lord  John  Russell -512 

Mr.  Gladstone -^18 

Lord  Beaconsfield -^23 


ENGLISH    HISTORY 


FOR 


AMERICAN    READERS. 


CHAPTER   I. 


EARLY    BRITAIN. 


OFF  the  western  coast  of  Europe  there  are  two 
large  islands.  One  of  these  is  a  little  larger 
than  are  the  States  of  Ohio  and  Pennsylvania  united, 
and  the  other  is  almost  as  large  as  the  State  of  Continu- 
Indiana.  Two  thousand  years  ago  these  islands  English 
were  mentioned  by  an  old  Greek  author,  Poly-  ^''merican 
bins,  as  "  the  two  Britannic  islands  of  Albion  history. 
and  lerne;"  and  they  are  now  known  to  us  as  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland.  Small  as  they  are,  their  history 
is  of  more  importance  to  Americans  than  that  of  all 
Europe  besides;  for  the  ancestors  of  the  majority  of 
Americans  came  from  these  islands,  and  thence  came 
many,  if  not  all,  of  our  most  important  institutions. 
Indeed,  the  history  of  these  islands  until  within  two 
centuries  and  a  half  is  a  part  of  American  history; 
without  it  we  cannot  understand  our  own  institutions, 
or  trace  the  history  of  our  ancestors. 

Who  were  the  earliest  inhabitants  of  these  islands  ? 
How  did  they  live.?     What  did  they  eat  and  drink, 


i>lS«ifcriMJ3:7*faiai 


UiamsA  liiaBMfawji '"  a 


EARLY  BRITAIN. 


THE  GAELS. 


and  what  kind  of  clothes  did  they  wear?  These  ques- 
tions cannot  be  answered  with  certainty,  for 
inhabit-  the  very  first  inhabitants  of  Albion  and  lerne 
"'*^'  lived  before  the  period  of  written  history.  Let 
us  begin  at  the  beginning,  and  see  what  is  really 
known  about  them. 

In  many  parts  of  the  larger  of  these  two  islands  there 
are  still  to  be  seen  a  great  many  small,  roundish  hills, 
commonly  called  barrows.  They  were  made  by 
Barrows.  ^^^^^  hands,  and  graves  have  been  found  in 
the  middle  of  some  of  them.  When  these  graves  were 
first  opened,  they  were  found  to  contain  bones,  not 
only  of  men,  but  of  animals.  Tools  of  stone  and 
bronze  were  found  in  them,  and  also  in  the  earth 
around  them.  In  other  cases  everything  but  the  stone 
graves  had  crumbled  away  and  disappeared ;  and  when 
the  graves  are  thus  empty  and  uncovered,  they  are 
usually  called  cromlechs.  Until  lately  the  cromlechs 
were  supposed  to  be  altars,  on  which  human  beings 
were  sacrificed;  but  they  are  now  known  to  be  only 

graves. 

The  human  bones  found  in  these  graves  were  evi- 
dently those  of  the  early  residents  of  Britain;  so  they 

have  been  carefully  measured  and  examined. 
BrTish  It  is  found  that  they  belonged  to  two  different 
'^''^^'  races,  who  can  only  be  known  apart  as  being 
the  people  with  long,  narrow  heads,  and  those  with 
short,   round  heads.     The  long-headed  people  appear 

to  have  been  the  older  race,  and  the  more 
heT/ed  ignorant.  They  were  a  good  deal  like  the  Es- 
^^°^^^'  kimo,  or  Esquimaux,  of  the  present  day.  They 
lived  in  caves,  and  in  villages  built  over  shallow  water. 
They  used  stone  tools,  and  ate  the  flesh  of  wild  beasts ; 


"\ 


but  they  had  tame  animals  also,  for  the  bones  of  the 
ox,  the  horse,  and  even  the  goose,  have  been  found  in 
the  graves.  It  is  not  known  who  these  long-headed 
people  were ;  but  they  have  been  thought  to  belong  to 
a  race  called  Iberian,  or  perhaps  Ivernian,  who  were 
the  early  occupants  of  the  peninsula  of  Spain,  and 
also  of  Ireland,   or  lerne. 

The  people  with  the  round   heads  came  at  a  later 
day,  although  long  before  the  time  of  written  history. 
They  were  larger,  stronger,  and  less  barbarous 
than  the  race  just  described.     This  is  shown  by   headed 
the  fact  that  they  used  bronze  tools;  for  bronze   ^^°p^^ 
is  a  mixture  of  copper  and  tin,  and  it  cannot  be  made 
without  some   skill.     They  made  earthen   pots  also, 
wove  a  rough  kind  of  cloth,  and  built  their  villages 
over  deeper  waters  than  the  others.     They  were  per- 
haps  of   the    Finnish   race,   which   still  occupies  the 
northernmost  part  of  Europe,   although  some  regard 
them  as  Celts,   or  Kelts. 

At  any  rate,  we  know  that  men  of  Celtic,  or  Keltic, 
blood  lived  in  Britain  at  the  beginning  of  written  his- 
tory, and  they  are  the  first  British  men  of  whom  The 
we  know  much.  Men  of  the  same  race  still  live  ^^^^^• 
in  France,  especially  in  Brittany,  in  Spain,  and  in 
Northern  Italy.  Of  those  who  came  to  Britain,  the 
tribes  of  whom  we  know  most  were  the  Goidels,  or 
Gaels,  and  the  Brythons,  or  Britons.  The  Goidels  came 
first,  and  then  passed  over  into  Ireland,  where  the 
western  Irish  are  probably  their  descendants.  Some 
of  them  passed  over  into  Scotland,  where  the  Scottish 
Highlanders  are  supposed  to  be  sprung  from  them, 
and  still  speak  a  language  called  Gaelic.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  Brythons  came  to  the  southern  part  of 


4  EARLY   BRITAIN. 

Great  Britain,  and  the  Welsh  are  their  particular  de- 
scendants. Their  old  neighbors  on  the  continent  of 
Europe  gave  them  this  name  of  Brythons,  meaning 
either  clothed  men  or  painted  men;  but  they  called 
themselves  Cymry,  and  their  descendants,  the  Welsh, 
call  themselves  by  that  name  to  this  day. 

We  know  more  about  these  early  Britons  than  about 
any  of  the  other  early  races,  because  the  Romans, 
The  who  afterwards  conquered  them,  have  told  us  a 
Britons,  gj-eat  deal  about  them  in  their  books.  They 
lived  in  huts  shaped  like  beehives,  made  of  planks, 
and  covered  with  basket-work  and  mud.  The  only 
ornaments  of  these  huts  were  the  heads  of  the 
mode  of  owner's  enemies;  and  this  shows  what  a  savage 
^*  race  they  were.  The  heads  that  were  thought 
most  valuable  were  kept  in  boxes,  and  were  brought 
forth  only  on  great  occasions.  In  this  they  were  no 
better  than  the  wild  tribes  called  head-hunters,  who 
are  still  to  be  found  in  the  island  of  Borneo.  The 
Britons  were  a  tall  and  well-formed  race.  They  were 
dressed  in  skins  and  in  woven  cloth,  this  last  being 
dyed  in  gaudy  colors.  The  men  allowed  their  mous- 
taches to  grow  so  long  that  they  strained  what  they 
drank  through  them  as  through  a  sieve.  They  were 
good  farmers,  and  raised  large  crops  of  grain.  Cattle 
and  sheep  abounded  among  them,  and  they  had  little 
horses,  or  ponies,  which,  when  too  old  to  labor,  were 
killed  and  eaten  like  other  animals.  The  Britons 
were  brave,  and  fought  chiefly  from  chariots  drawn  by 
three  horses.  When  going  to  war,  a  soldier  colored 
his  hair  bright  red,  and  painted  streaks  of  blue  and 
green  on  his  face  and  legs,  like  the  American  Indian. 
When  the  Romans  afterwards  conquered  Britain,  the 


STONEHENGE. 


5 


race  which  they  overcame  was  really  not  much  more 
civilized  than  the  Mandans  or  Choctaws  or  Apaches 
of  America. 

The  religion  of  these  early  Britons  was  called  Druid- 
ism,  and  their  priests  were  called  Druids.     They  wor- 


Religion. 


VIEW   OF   STONEHENGE.      (FROM   A   PHOTOGRAPH.) 

shipped  several  deities,  and  offered  human  sacrifices  to 
them.  They  held  oak  groves  sacred, and  particu- 
larly the  mistletoe  that  hung  from  the  boughs. 
There  are  in  England  several  great  buildings,  or  struc- 
tures of  stone  resembling  buildings,  which  are  stone- 
supposed  to  have  been  built  in  the  time  of  the  ^^"s^- 
Druids,  though  no  one  can  fix  the  date.  As  the  trav- 
eller goes  out  from  the  city  of  Salisbury  over  a  bare 
undulating  plain,  like  one  of  the  rolling  prairies  of  the 


EARLY   IJRITAIN. 


Great  Britain,  and  the  Welsh  arc  their  particular  de- 
scendants. Their  old  neighbors  on  the  continent  of 
Kurope  gave  them  this  name  of  Hrythons,  meaning 
either  clothed  men  or  painted  men;  but  they  called 
themselves  Cymry,  and  their  descendants,  the  Welsh, 
call  themselves  by  that  name  to  this  day. 

We  know  more  about  these  early  Britons  than  about 
any  of  the  other  early  races,  because  the  Romans, 
Hie  who  afterwards  conc[uered  them,  have  told  us  a 
Britons,  .^j.^^^  ^\^.^\  about  them  in  their  books.  They 
lived  in  huts  shaped  like  beehives,  made  of  planks, 
and  covered  with  basket-work  and  mud.  The  only 
ornaments  of  these  huts  were  the  heads  of  the 
mode  of  owner's  enemies;  and  this  shows  what  a  savage 
race  they  were.  The  heads  that  were  thought 
most  valuable  were  kept  in  boxes,  and  were  brought 
forth  only  on  great  occasions.  In  this  they  were  no 
better  than  the  wild  tribes  called  head-hunters,  who 
are  still  to  be  found  in  the  island  of  Borneo.  The 
Britons  were  a  tall  and  well-formed  race.  They  were 
dressetl  in  skins  and  in  woven  cloth,  this  last  being 
dyed  in  gaudy  colors.  The  men  allowed  their  mous- 
taches to  grow  so  long  that  they  strained  what  they 
drank  through  them  as  through  a  sieve.  They  were 
good  farmers,  and  raised  large  crops  of  grain.  Cattle 
and  sheep  abounded  among  them,  and  they  had  little 
horses,  or  ponies,  which,  when  too  old  to  labor,  were 
killetl  and  eaten  like  other  animals.  The  l^ritons 
were  brave,  and  fought  chiefly  from  chariots  drawn  by 
three  horses.  When  going  to  war,  a  soldier  colored 
his  hair  bright  red,  and  painted  streaks  of  blue  and 
green  on  his  face  and  legs,  like  the  American  Indian. 
When  the  Romans  afterwards  conquered  Britain,  the 


STONEIIEXGE. 


5 


race  which  they  overcame  was  really  not  much  more 
civilized  than  the  Mandans  or  Choctaws  or  Apaches 
of  America. 

The  religion  of  these  early  Britons  was  called  Druid- 
ism,  and  their  priests  were  called  Druids.      They  wor- 


Ktligion. 


VIEW   OF   STONEFIENGE.      (FROM   A    PHOTOGRAPH.) 

shipped  several  deities,  and  offered  human  sacrifices  to 
them.  They  held  oak  groves  sacred, and  })articu- 
larly  the  mistletoe  that  liung  from  the  boughs. 
I  here  are  in  luigland  several  great  buildings,  or  struc- 
tures of  stone  resembling  Iniildings,  which  are  stone- 
supposed  to  have  been  built  in  the  time  of  the  '''^'"^'''• 
Druids,  though  no  one  can  fix  the  date.  As  the  trav- 
eller goes  out  from  the  city  of  Salisbury  over  a  bare 
undulating  plain,  like  one  of  the  rolling  prairies  of  the 


^^^^^t^^^i^AiiiAi^^rf^^dgibii^ttMW^ 


EARLY  BRITAIN. 


A.  D.  84.] 


THE   ROMAN  CONQUEST. 


West,  he  sees  at  a  distance  a  vast  gray  structure  made 
of  huge  stones  now  fallen  apart.  This  is  called  Stone- 
henge.  The  largest  upright  stones  are  nearly  thirty 
feet  long,  and  hold  up  cross-pieces  that  are  sixteen  feet 
long  and  weigh  eleven  tons.  How  these  great  stones 
were  brought  or  shaped  and  raised  to  such  a  height  with 
the  imperfect  tools  and  machinery  of  a  barbarous  age, 
is  very  puzzling;  but  there  is  no  way  of  learning  exactly 
when  Stonehenge  was  built,  or  another  structure  of 
the  same  kind  at  Abury.  But  we  have  every  reason  to 
believe  that  the  people  who  built  them  were  ancestors 
of  our  own;  for  the  island  of  Albion,  or  Great  Britain, 
has  been  conquered  so  many  times  that  there  is  a  great 
mixture  of  race  in  all  English-speaking  people.  Ibe- 
rian and  Finn,  Gael  and  Briton,  all  mingle  their  blood 
in  our  veins;  and  so  do  other  races  yet  to  be  men- 
tioned, such  as  Angle  and  Saxon,  Dane  and  Nor- 
man. But  it  is  a  curious  thing  that  our  institutions 
and  laws  are  mainly  based  on  those  of  the  Angles  and 
Saxons. 

At  a  time  when  Britain  was  in  an  almost  barbarous 
condition,  the  southern  portions  of  Europe  were  much 
£^ri  more  civilized,  and  we  know  something  of  the 
visitors,  early  state  of  Britain  through  the  writings  and 
traditions  of  these  more  advanced  races.  For  instance, 
an  early  Greek  explorer  named  Pytheas  is  supposed  to 
have  visited  the  island,  and  the  Phoenicians  at  Carth- 
age used  tin  that  probably  came  from  British  mines, 
and  they  knew  something  about  the  Britons.  Yet  the 
route  of  Pytheas  is  not  easy  to  make  out,  and  the 
Phoenicians  may,  after  all,  have  obtained  their  tin  and 
their  information  from  Gaul  or  Spain.  But  as  to  the 
Roman  knowledge  of  Britain,  we  are  on  surer  ground. 


We  know  that,  fifty-five  years  before  the  birth  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  great  Roman  general,  Julius  Caesar, 
crossed  over  to  Britain,  he  being  then  governor  Britain, 
of  Gaul.  The  next  year  he  came  again,  and  '  *^^ ' 
marched  over  part  of  the  southeastern  portion  of  the 
island.  He  did  not  stay  long;  but  his  coming  was  of 
great  importance,  for  he  made  the  island  known  to  the 
Romans,  who  were  then  the  great  conquering  race  of 
Europe.  A  century  later  these  mighty  conquerors 
came  again  and  subdued  Britain  itself,  making  it  a 
province  of  the  Roman  Empire.  This  took  place 
*under  the  Emperor  Claudius  (43  A.  d.).  The  Ron^^n 
Britons  were  brave  and  warlike,  but  they  were^°"^^ 
no  match  for  the  disciplined  Roman  soldiers.  (a.i>.43)- 
The  chief  who  made  the  bravest  resistance  was  Caradoc, 
or  Caractacus ;  and  he  was  at  last  captured  and  sent  to 
Rome,  where  the  emperor  was  so  pleased  with  his 
frank  and  open  manner  that  he  set  him  free.  But  the 
Romans  in  Britain  were  not  so  kind  as  was  this  emperor. 
They  oppressed  the  Britons  terribly,  and  even  tortured 
them  to  obtain  money  from  them.  At  last  this  could 
be  borne  no  longer,  and  there  was  a  rebellion  under  a 
brave  chief  named  Boadicea,  a  woman.  The  Britons 
took  and  plundered  the  Roman  town  of  Londinium 
(London);  but  they  were  defeated  at  last,  and  Boadicea 
is  said  to  have  taken  her  own  life  in  her  despair. 

After  this  the  Romans  went  on  from  one  conquest 
to  another.  In  the  time  of  the  Emperor  Agricola 
(a.  D.  78-84),  all  Britain,  as  far  north  as  the  Clyde  Roman 
and  the  Firth  of  Forth,  was  in  their  han^s.  At  ^^"^• 
that  point  the  island  is  very  narrow,  and  Agricola 
caused  a  wall  to  be  built  across  it,  to  aid  in  keeping 
back  the  wild  Highland  tribes  called  Scots  and  Picts, 


m:- 


8 


EARLY  BRITAIN. 


[84. 


who  made  constant  raids  upon  the  country.  Fifty 
years  later  these  bold  mountaineers  pressed  the 
Romans  so  hard  that  the  Emperor  Hadrian  caused 
another  wall  to  be  built,  much  farther  south,  between 
the  Tyne  and  Solway  Firth.      Later  still,  the  Emperor 


'C.V,>«B»»- 


VIEW  OF  PART    OF  THE   ROMAN  WALL. 

Severus  rebuilt  this  wall,  and  a  part  of  it  is  still  stand- 
ing, although  much  has  been  taken  away  to  mend  the 
roads.  While  the  Scots  and  Picts  thus  troubled  the 
Romans  by  land,  the  sea-fighters,  or  vikings,  also  at- 
tacked them  by  water;  and  to  meet  these  the  Romans 
built  great  roads,  so  that  soldiers  could  be  hurried  from 
one  part  of  the  island  to  another.  Some  of  these 
roads  can  still  be  traced;  and  all  over  England  there 
yet  remain  ruined  walls  and  fragments  of  tiled  floors 
to  show  where  the  towns  and  camps  of  the  Roman  con- 
querors of  Britain  were  built. 

The  Romans,  having  become  Christian,   introduced 
Christianity  into  Britain,  and  in  this  way  the  Britons 


410.J 


ROMAN  ARMY   WITHDRAWN. 


became  Christians.  But  soon  the  Roman  power  de- 
clined. In  A.D.  410,  Rome  was  taken  by  the  West 
Goths  under  their  chief,  Alaric,  and  in  the  same    „ 

.  1       •  Roman 

year  the  Roman  legions  were  withdrawn  from    anny 
Britain.        This   strong   arm    being    gone,    the   dravvn 
Britons   had  to  defend  themselves  from  Scots    ^'^'°^* 
and  Picts  and  other  invaders,  —a  task  in  which  they 
succeeded  very  ill. 


PART   OF  THE   ROMAN    WALL  AT   LEICESTER. 


EARLY   BRITAIN. 


[S4. 


410.J 


ROMAN   ARMV    WITHDRAWN. 


who  made  constant  raids  upon  the  country.  iMfty 
years  later  these  bold  mountaineers  pressed  the 
Romans  so  hard  that  the  Emperor  Hadrian  caused 
another  wall  to  be  built,  much  farther  south,  between 
the  Tyne  and  Solway  iMrth.      Later  still,  the  Emperor 


became  Christians.  lUit  soon  the  Roman  power  de- 
clined. In  A.  1).  410,  Rome  was  taken  by  the  Wesc 
Goths  under  their  chief,  Alaric,  and  in  the  same    ,, 

1        •  Koman 

year  the   Roman   legions  were  withdrawn  from    -I'^iy 
Britain.        This    strong    arm     being    gone,    the    draun 
J)ritons    had   to  defend    themselves   from   Scots    ^^'"^' 
and   Picts  and  other  invaders, — a  task   in  which  they 
succeeded   very   ill. 


VIEW  OF   I'ART    OF  THE   ROMAN  WALL. 

Severus  rebuilt  this  wall,  and  a  part  of  it  is  still  stand- 
ing,  although  much  has  been  taken  away  to  mend  the 
roads.  While  the  Scots  and  Picts  thus  troubled  the 
Romans  by  land,  the  sea-fighters,  or  vikings,  also  at- 
tacked them  by  water;  and  to  meet  these  the  Romans 
built  great  roads,  so  that  soldiers  could  be  hurried  from 
one  part  of  the  island  to  another.  Some  of  these 
roads  can  still  be  traced  ;  and  all  over  England  there 
yet  remain  ruined  walls  and  fragments  of  tiled  floors 
to  show  where  the  towns  and  camps  of  the  Roman  con- 
querors of  Ikitain  were  built. 

The  Romans,  having  become  Christian,   introduced 
Christianity  into  Britain,  and   in  this  way  the  Britons 


-^-^ 


>--■"—  .".,^;,TT   Pl-W 


PARI    ur    i  JIK    ROMAN    WAIL   AT    LEICESTER. 


:A^£^  <. 


«.»■»/_* 


lO 


HOW   BRITAIN   BECAME   ENGLAND. 


[449- 


CHAPTER   II. 


HOW    BRITAIN    BECAME    ENGLAND. 


A.  D.  449-827. 

BY  the  seaside,  in  winter,  we  may  sometimes  see 
a  floating  log  or  plank  on  which  a  little  flock  of 
sea-fowl  has  perched.  Then  comes  another  flock,  and 
another,  all  ready  to  alight,  and  each  flock  must  either 
make  room  for  the  next,  or  be  driven  away.  The  early 
history  of  the  island  of  Britain  is  very  much  like  this. 
One  flock  of  invaders  after  another  settled  upon  it, 
each  having  a  name  of  its  own,  but  all  belonging  in 
general  to  the  great  Germanic,  or  Teutonic,  race,  which 
spread  all  over  northern  Europe.  The  modern  Ger- 
mans, Dutch,  and  Danes  all  belong  to  this  race,  and 
so  did  the  successive  flocks  of  invaders  who  came  to 
Britain. 

There  were  the  Jutes,  for  instance,  from  whom  the 
peninsula  of  Jutland  is  still  named.  They  landed 
Coming  about  449  on  the  southeast  coast  of  Britain, 
Tutes^  and  soon  overran  all  that  part  of  the  island. 
(449)-  It  used  to  be  said  that  they  were  led  by  two 
brothers,  named  Hengist  and  Horsa,  whom  a  British 
chief,  named  Vortigern,  had  asked  to  help  him  against 
his  enemies.  But  it  is  now  thought  that  this  whole 
story  may  be  false,  and  that  Hengist  and  Horsa  mean 
only  horse  and  mare.  Yet  it  is  certain  that  the  Jutes 
themselves  came,  and  brought  with  them  their  families. 


520.] 


THE   SAXONS. 


II 


slaves,  and  cattle.  The  Romans  had  called  the  south- 
eastern part  of  Britain  Cantium,  and  the  Jutes  changed 
the  name  to  Kent,  —  a  name  it  still  bears.  They 
called  themselves  Kentsmen,  and  named  their  chief 
town  Kentsmen's  borough,  or  Canterbury,  as  it  is 
now  spelled.  This  is  interesting  to  Americans,  be- 
cause a  large  part  of  those  who  first  settled  this  con- 
tinent came  from  this  county  of  Kent,  and  kept  up  its 
way  of  speaking  and  its  institutions. 

The  next  flock  of  invaders,  also  belonging  to  the 
great  Teutonic  race,  were  of  the  Saxon  tribe,  and  set- 
tled upon  the  land  south  and  west  of  Kent,  The 
calling  this  region  Sussex,  or  the  land  of  the  Faxons. 
South  Saxons,  —  a  name  it  holds  to  this  day.  Then 
another  band  of  Saxons  settled  to  the  west  of  Sussex, 
and  called  that  region  Wessex.  They  are  said  to  have 
fought  many  battles  with  the  British  king  Arthur, 
about  whom  there  are  so  many  legends  and  poems,  — 
he  that  founded  the  Round  Table  of  famous  knights, 
who  went  in  search  of  the  Holy  Grail.  The  poet 
Tennyson,  in  our  own  time,  has  written  much  about 
King  Arthur,  but  it  is  now  believed  that  he  existed 
only  in  poetry,  as  none  of  the  early  historical  writers 
even  mention  his  name.  But  the  leader  of  these 
Saxons  of  Wessex  was  a  real  person,  named  Cedric, 
who  was  the  ancestor  of  most  of  the  later  sovereigns 
of  England,  including  the  present  queen.  Cedric' s 
settlement  of  Wessex  was  the  most  important  Saxon 
colony.  Other  Saxons  settled  in  the  eastern  part  of 
England,  calling  their  part  of  the  country  Essex,  while 
others  settled  between  these  tribes  and  called  that 
region  Middlesex.  These  two  names  yet  belong  to 
English  counties,  though  the  name  of  Wessex  is  lost. 


12 


HOW   BRITAIN  BECAME   ENGLAND. 


[600. 


Then  other  Teutonic  invaders  settled  in  the  central 
and  northern  parts  of  Britain.  These  were  called 
Ti^g  Angles,  or  English,  so  that  we  now  see  whence 
English.  (,^j^c  thg  words  '*  English  "  and  "Anglo-Saxon." 

They  settled  north  of  Essex,  and  gradually  got  to  the 
borders  of  Wales.  The  old  English  word  for  border 
is  "march;"  so  these  English  were  called  "march- 
men,"  and  their  country  was  called  "Mercia. "  Other 
Angles  also  settled  north  of  the  river  Humber,  and 
were  finally  united  in  a  large  kingdom,  called  North- 
umbria.  They  gradually  spread  yet  farther  north,  and 
founded  a  city  named  Edwin's-borough,  or  Edinburgh, 
after  a  King  Edwin  of  Northumbria,  who  lived  in  the 
seventh  century.  Thus  the  Angles,  or  English,  gradu- 
ally got  possession  of  the  greater  part  of  the  island, 
and  it  came  to  be  called  Angleland,  or  England. 

What  became  of  the  early  British  tribes  we  do  not 
know,  although  it  is  very  likely  that  the  present  in- 
Treat-  habitants  of  Wales  and  Cornwall  are  mainly  de- 
the"* "  scended  from  them.  Some  writers,  too,  think 
Britons.  |-|^^|.  ^^^  prcscncc  of  SO  many  dark-haired  Eng- 
lishmen shows  that  the  slaughter  of  the  Britons  was 
not  so  complete  as  many  historians  have  thought.  For 
the  English,  Danes,  and  Normans  belonged  to  the 
Teutonic  race,  and  had  light  hair,  while  we  know  that 
the  early  Britons  had  dark  hair.  At  any  rate,  there 
are  hardly  any  British  words  in  our  present  language, 
but  there  are  many  Latin  words,  and  some  of  these 
may  have  come  from  the  Britons,  who  probably  spoke 
a  dialect  of  Latin  after  the  Romans  conquered  them. 
And  our  customs,  like  our  language,  came  mainly 
from  the  Teutonic  tribes,  who,  one  after  another,  pos- 
sessed England,  and  whom  we  must  now  call  English. 


827.1 


ENGLISH   INSTITUTIONS. 


13 


But  we  must  not  forget  that  these  old  tribes,  from 
whom  most  of  us  are  descended,  were  not  only  almost 
savages,  but  they  were  pagans;  that  is,  wor-  ^^^.^,^^ 
shippers  of  many  gods.  What  little  of  Chris-  of  the 
tianity  had  been  planted  in  the  island  by  the  "^^^* 
Romans  had  disappeared,  and  the  new  tenants  of  Eng- 
land worshipped  various  gods,  the  chief  of  whom  was 
Wodin,  or  Odin.  Next  to  him  was  Thor,  or  Thunder. 
To  this  god  the  horse  was  sacred,  and  the  English 
held  feasts  of  horseflesh  in  his  honor.  After  they 
had  been  converted  to  Christianity  they  gave  up  these 
feasts  altogether;  and  this  change  of  habits  has  been 
thought  to  be  the  reason  why  we  do  not  eat  horseflesh, 
as  is  done  by  some  races.  To  this  day  we  keep  the 
names  of  Wodin  and  Thor  in  our  Wednesday  and  Thurs- 
day ;  and  this  is  why  our  Puritan  ancestors  in  England 
and  America  refused  to  use  these  names,  which  they 
thought  heathen,  and  why  they  preferred  to  name  the 
days  of  the  week  by  simple  numbers,  —  First  Day, 
Second  Day,  and  so  on, —  as  the  Quakers,  or  Friends, 
now  do.  But  as  all  these  early  English  kings  claimed 
to  be  descended  from  Wodin,  they  thought  it  very 
proper  to  call  one  day  in  the  week  by  his  name. 

All  these  English  tribes  kept  up  the  customs  of  their 
Teutonic  forefathers ;  and  it  is  thus  that  those  customs 
have  been  handed  down  to  Americans.     To  be- 

.   ,  English 

gm  with,  each  tribe,  as  it  settled  down  on  its  institu- 
part  of  the  conquered  territory,  divided  most 
of  the  arable  land  among  its  members  according  to 
the  old  Teutonic  method, — a  portion  to  each  family. 
Several  families  living  near  together  formed  a  town- 
ship, and  the  affairs  of  the  township  were  arranged  at 
a  meeting  of  the  male  freeholders,  or  freemen,  of  the 


14 


HOW   BRITAIN   BECAME  ENGLAND. 


[6cx). 


township.  After  Christianity  was  introduced,  this 
"town-moot,"  or  "town-meeting,"  took  charge  of  the 
The  religious  affairs  too,  and  did  this  under  the 
township. j^^j^g  ^^£  "parish."  The  English  parish-meet- 
ing, or  "vestry,"  of  our  own  time  is  the  survival  of 
this  organization;  and  so,  probably,  is  the  town- 
meeting  of  the  New  England  States. 

Several  townships,  enough  to  furnish  a  hundred  or 
so  of  warriors,  formed  what  was  called  "The  Hundred." 
The  The  hundred  had  its  own  meeting,  at  which 
hundred.  |.j^g  ^-q^^  pricst  and  reeve,  with  four  more  men 
from  each  township,  were  present.  This  organization 
of  the  hundred  is  still  preserved  in  some  States  of  the 
American  Union.  Then,  as  time  went  on,  and  there 
came  to  be  but  one  king  in  all  England,  the  little 
The  kingdoms  of  former  days  became  shires,  or  coun- 
coimty.  ^.jgs.  The  affairs  of  a  county  were  conducted 
at  an  assembly  over  which  an  officer  called  the  ealdor- 
man  (alderman)  presided. 

The  land  was  not  all  divided  among  separate  owners. 
According  to  some  writers  a  part  of  it  was  always 
reserved,  to  be  given  by  the  lords  at  some  future 
time  to  those  who  deserved  it,  or  to  be  let  to 
those  who  had  no  right  to  a  portion  of  free  land,  and 
who  had  to  put  themselves  under  the  protection  of  some 
strong  man.  According  to  other  writers,  most  of  the 
land  was  owned  by  the  community  in  common.  More- 
over, many  of  the  people  were  thralls,  or  slaves,  some  of 
these  having  sold  themselves  into  slavery  because  they 
were  poor,  or  having  been  fined  for  some  offence,  and 
having  been  unable  to  pay  the  fine.  All  who  have  read 
Scott's  novel  of  "  Ivanhoe  "  will  remember  Gurth  and 
Wamba,  who  were  slaves,   and  actually  wore  collars 


The  land. 


827.] 


CONVERSION  TO   CHRISTIANITY. 


15 


around  their  necks;  although  Scott  must  not  be  too 
closely  followed,  as  it  is  said  that  there  is  some  his- 
torical error  in  almost  every  page  of  "Ivanhoe." 

Besides  these  various  classes  of  freemen,  dependants, 
and  slaves,  there  were  the  fighting  men,  or  thanes,  who 
followed  the  fortunes  of  their  chief,  or  king,  and   The 
were  often  rewarded  by  a  gift  of  land  or  by  a   *^^"^5' 
title  of  nobility.     Where  these  thanes,  or  nobles,  were 
powerful,  the  poorer  and  weaker  were  glad  to  come 
under  their  authority  and  have  their  protection;  and 
thus    the    simple    early   Teutonic    institutions    went 
through  a  change,   and  became  more   like  what  was 
called   "feudalism"    in    the    rest    of    Europe.      This 
change  was  seen,  for   instance,   in  the  growth   ^^ 
of  the  Witenagemot,   or  meeting  of  the  Wise   meeting 
Men  (Witan).     This  was  a  body  of  great  power,    wise 
and  took  in  some  degree  the  place  of  a  legis- 
lature or  congress.      It  elected  the  king,  sometimes 
passing  over  the  older  heir,  and  choosing  some  other 
member  of  the  ruling  family.     It  also  appointed  the 
officers  of  state,   and  decided  questions  of  peace  and 
war.     At  first  the  freemen  had  the  right  to  attend  its 
meetings;  but  the  attendance  was  gradually  composed 
of  the  leading  officials  and  nobles. 

For  many  years  the  English  still  remained  pagan, 
worshipping  the  old  Saxon  gods ;  but  just  before  the  end 
of  the  sixth  century  a  monk  named  Augustine  conver- 
visited  it.  Fortunately  for  him,  the  king  of  ^^V^ 
Kent,  named  Ethelbert,  had  married  a  Chris-  tianity. 
tian  wife,  daughter  of  the  king  of  the  Franks,  so 
Augustine  was  allowed  to  land.  Between  his  wife's 
persuasions  and  those  of  this  monk,  Ethelbert  be- 
came a  Christian,  and  allowed  Augustine  to  live  at 


i6 


HOW   BRITAIN   BECAME   ENGLAND. 


[827. 


Canterbury,  where  the  head  of  the  Church  of  England 
has  ever  since  had  a  palace,  his  title  being  that 
of  Archbishop  of  Canterbury.  Then  Edwin,  king  of 
Northumbria,  the  most  powerful  of  the  various  Eng- 
lish kings,  married  a  daughter  of  Ethelbert,  and  was 
also  converted ;  and  by  degrees  all  the  other  kings  and 
their  people  became  Christian.  And  what  was  almost 
as  important,  before  long  the  English  Church  became 
a  portion  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  to  which  the 
leading  nations  of  western  Europe  also  belonged. 
In  this  way  England  was  brought  again  under  the 
influences  of  civilization. 

During  all  this  time  no  English  king  succeeded  in 
really  uniting  all  England,  though  by  827  Egbert  of 
^    ,    ^  Wessex  was  recognized  by  all  Englishmen  liv- 

England  °  -'  i        r    t-'        i 

united      ing  south  of  Edinburgh  and  the  Firth  of  Forth 
as  their  ruler,  or  ** over-lord." 


(S27). 


SAXON  HORSEMEN    (HARL.   MS.   603). 


827.] 


THE   VIKINGS. 


17 


CHAPTER    III. 


THE    NORTHMEN    IN    ENGLAND. 
827-1042. 

TN  those  days  there  were  certain  sea-rovers    called 
X  vikmgs,  who  used  to  land  upon  the  coasts  of  En-land 
and  France,  and  often  took  possession  of  the  "^ 
land  and  held   it.      The  word   "vikings"   does   'ib^gs. 
not  mean  that  they  were  kings,  but  that  they  dwelt  on 
a  vi^,  or  bay.     They  came  in   long  boats  with  hio-h 
prows  often  bearing  the  head  of  a  dragon  or  some  oth^er 
animal.      There  were   sometimes  fifty  rowers,   whose 
shields  were  hung  over  the  sides  of  the  boat ;  and  when 
the  boat  was  upset  in  a  sea-fight,  the  men  would  escape 
their  enemies  by  swimming,   with  their  heads  under 
their  floating  shields.     These  sea-rovers  were  called 
Northmen,  or  Norsemen,  so  that  when  they  took  pos- 
session of  a  part  of  the  coast  of  France  it  was  named 
Norm,,,^,  and  has  held  that  name  ever  since.     Some 
of  these  same  Northmen  afterwards  made  their  way  to 
Iceland,  and  thence,  it  is  believed,  to  America.     But 

Larrand?"  "^'  "'f  ^'  ^^^^^^^  ^^^  ^^^   ^en- 
niark,  and  came  from  the  same  part  of  Europe  as  the 

that  st^^^^^  f  ^  ^"'"'^^ ""''  ^^^^^-^^  --h  '-- 

rnat  spoken  in  England  at  the  time 

the'^tL^irha'i'r'"""  ^'^'^'  '"^  ^^  ^-^-^^  -^-e 

people  had  been  converted  to  Christianity  before 


! 


i8 


THE  NORTHMEN   IN  ENGLAND. 


[878. 


988.] 


CNUT  THE  DANE. 


the  English,  but  were  still  far  from  being  civilized. 
The  native  tribes  retreated  before  the  warlike  Danes 
The        into  the  forests  and  wilds  of  the  interior.    Then 
Danes     ^^^    Danes    crossed   to    England,   and    overran 
AifrS."^  Northumbria  and  Mercia ;  but  when  they  came 
to  VVessex  they  met  with  some  resistance  from  young 
kincr  Alfred,   Egbert's  grandson.     But  he  had   to  re- 
trea't  to  the  forest,  and  is  said  to  have  taken  refuge 
with  a  cowherd,  whose  wife  did    not  know  he  was  a 
king,  and  set  him  to  tending  the  cakes  that  she  was 
baking  before  the  fire.      Coming  in,  she  found  that 
they  were  burning;  and  she  said  to  him,  according  to 
an  old  ballad :  — 

"  There,  don't  you  see  the  cakes  on  fire  ? 

Then  wherefore  turn  them  not  ? 

You  're  glad  enough  to  eat  them 

When  they  are  piping  hot." 

At  last  he  gathered  men  enough  about  him  to  leave 
his  retreat  and  attack  the  Danes.  They  were  taken 
Treaty  wholly  by  surprise,  and  he  drove  them  out  of  his 
of  Wed-  i^ingaom  of  Wessex;  but  he  could  not  drive 
(878')-  them  out  of  England,  and  he  had  to  let  them 
remain,  on  condition  of  acknowledging  him  as  their 
superior,  or  "over-lord."  They  thus  ruled  over  the 
northern  part  of  En-land ;  but  we  cannot  trace  many  of 
our  institutions  to  them,  although  the  names  of  many 
English  towns  are  Danish,   as  those  of  Whitby  and 

Derby.  ^  ^  , 

Although  Alfred  could  not  get  rid  of  the  Danes,  he 
was  the  best  and  greatest  of  these  early  English  chiefs, 
Alfred's  or  kings.  He  brought  together  the  laws  and 
rr"  customs  of  the  nation  into  a  kind  of  code.  He 
encouraged  learning  by  translating  books  from  other 


19 


languages  into  English,  and  above  all  he  built  a  navy, 
and  brought  England  more  into  connection  with  the 
outer  world.  Under  his  son,  Edward  the  Elder,  and 
his  successors,  the  work  of  Alfred  was  completed;  so 
that,  by  the  middle  of  the  tenth  century,  the  Danes 
were  conquered,  and  even  the  Scots  and  Welsh  acknowl- 
edged the  authority  of  the  English  king. 

Edward  died  in  925,  and  the  next  fifty  years  were 
years  of   comparative   peace   and   quiet.     The   ablest 
man  of  the  period  was  Dunstan,  a  monk,  after-   saint 
wards  known  as  Saint   Dunstan,  who  became    ^""^'an. 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury.     Under  his  wise  guidance 
the  Danes  put  away  their  wild  habits,  and  became  like 
Englishmen,  and  the  Scottish  king  became  a  subject 
of  the  king  of  England,  taking  some  of  the  northern 
part  of  England  for  his  own,  and  having  the  old  Eng- 
lish town  of  Edinburgh  for  his  seat  of  government. 
Dunstan  died  in  988.     Even  before  his  death  another 
horde  of  Danes  came,  this  time  determined  to  conquer 
England  and  rule  it  themselves.     The  English  king, 
Ethelred  "the  Unready,"  or  "Without  Counsel,"  fool- 
ishly gave  the  Danes  money  to  go  away.     Of  course 
they  came  back  the  next  year  in  still  greater  numbers. 
Their  leader  was  their  king,  Swend,  or  Swegen,  Fork- 
beard,  who  became  king  of  England ;  and  when  ^^^^^ 
he  died,  his  son  Cnut,  or  Canute,  was  king  after  J^^ane, 
him,  although  Edmund  Ironside,  the  brave  son  Enfiand. 
of  Ethelred  the  Unready,  divided  England  with  Cnut 
for  a  time. 

Cnut  was  a  man  of  much  force  and  energy.  He 
succeeded  to  all  Ethelred's  possessions,  and  at  last 
even  married  his  widow;  so  that  he  no  longer  seemed 
a  stranger  to  the  people.     He  was  not  only  king  of 


20 


THE  NORTHMEN    IN   ENGLAND. 


o 
U 


O 

H 

>< 
< 


H 

u 
U 

a 

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PtS 


RURAL   LIFE   IN  THE   ELEVENTH   CENTURY. 


21 


o 


Q 

.§ 
^ 

-t; 

i^. 

O 

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C/) 

M 

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oi 

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o 
U 

U 


hJifcJ^4*-^^.a«l.    Ljft..w»f<'-'"ftt^»wrfi»v.   >- 


20 


THE   NORTHMEN    IN    ENGLAND. 


RURAL    LIKE    JN    THE    EL1;\  EN 


in    CEN'ILRV 


21 


2^ 


•w» 


M 


u 


-/- 


uffSSlAsi^tAti  3aJ.»..i'.'<iaj-tiat.''r-i 


i.t*!*      i.rt*ii^'      *:^M. 


22 


THE  NORTHMEN  IN  ENGLAND. 


[1042. 


1042.] 


HAROLD   CHOSEN  KING. 


^3 


England,  but  of  Denmark,  of  a  part  of  Sweden,  and 
at  last  of  Norway.  He  divided  England  into  four 
The  earl-  earldoms,  giving  each  to  an  earl,  of  whom  the 
doms.  ablest  was  Earl  Godwin  of  Wessex.  The  best 
remembered  story  of  Cnut  is  that  of  his  ordering  the 
sea  to  obey  him ;  and  it  is  told  by  an  old  monk  named 
Henry  of  Huntingdon.  One  day,  as  the  story  goes, 
Cnut  sat  down  in  a  chair  upon  the  beach  below  high- 
water  mark,  and  bade  the  tide  stop  rising.  "  O  sea, 
I  am  thy  lord.  My  ships  sail  over  thee  whither  I  will, 
and  this  land  against  which  thou  breakest  is  mine. 
Stay  thou  thy  waves,  and  dare  not  to  wet  the  feet  of 
thy  lord  and  master."  But  the  tide  kept  on,  and  wet 
the  royal  feet  before  they  could  get  out  of  the  way; 
and  it  is  said  that  he  was  so  humbled  as  never  to  wear 
Cnut's  bis  crown  again.  In  fact,  his  children  did  not 
sons.  ^g^j.  j|.  jQj^g  either.  His  sons  died  without 
children,  and  the  "Wise  Men"  gave  the  crown  to 
Ethelred's  son,   Edward. 


AN    ENGLISH   VESSEL   (HARL.    MS.   603). 


CHAPTER   IV. 

THE   NORMAN    CONQUEST. 
I042-I087. 

nPHE  new  king's  early  years  had  been  spent  in  Nor- 
±       msndy,  and  he  was  more  Norman  than  English 
m  his  feelings.     He  liked  to  have  his  Norman  friends 
around   him,  and   gave  them  important   offices    even 
makmg  one  of  them  Archbishop  of  Canterbury.  '  This 
was  bitterly  opposed  by  a  large  party  of  the  English 
headed  by  Earl  Godwin.    This  led  to  constant  quarrels' 
and  when  the  great  earl  died,  and  his'  son  Harold  suc^ 
ceeded  him  as  Earl  of  Wessex,  Harold  really  became 
more  powerful  than  the  king.     Then  the  king  himself 
rlied,  and  his  influence  became  greater  after  his  death 
than  in  his  lifetime.     Remembering  his  mild  rule,  so 
different  from  the  oppressions  that  came   later,  men 
called  him  "Edward  the  Confessor,"  or  '^ Saint  "     He 
was   buried   in   the  great   Church  or  West   Minster 
which  was  completed  before  his  death,  and  which  is 
now  called  by  the  same  name,  Westminster  Abbey 
a  though  of  Edward's  original  building  only  the  bases 
01  a  few  columns  remain. 

Edward  the  Confessor  was  the  last  of  the  direct  de- 
scendants of   Cedric  the  Saxon;   and   the   day 
after  his  death  the  "Wise  Men"  met  and  chose   S 
his  young  rival,  Harold,  to  be  king  of  England,    ^^^• 
Edward  himself  having  recommended   this.     But  the 


24 


THE  NORMAN   CONQUEST. 


[1066. 


new  king  had  little  peace.     William,   Duke  of   Nor- 
mandy, had  hoped  for  the  crown  of  England,  and  was 
furious  when  he  heard  of  the  "Wise  Men's"  choice; 
for  he  claimed  that  Harold  had  promised  in  the  most 
solemn  way  to  help  him  to  become  king  of  England. 
Indeed,  it  seems  certain  that  Harold  had  promised  to 
do  something  William  wished,  though  probably  only 
to  marry  William's  daughter.     Then  another  Harold, 
surnamed  Hardrada,  or  ''stern  of  counsel,"  resolved  to 
invade  England,  and  did  so;  but  his  namesake  defeated 
him  utterly,  Sept.  25,  1066.     A  few  days  later,  while 
the  English  Harold  was  celebrating  this  victory,  some 
one  entered  the  room  and  said  that  Duke  William  of 
Normandy  had  landed,  and  had  taken  up  his  position 
near  Hastings.      Harold  knew  that  the  time  for  a  deci- 
sive battle  had  come,  and  with  all  speed  gathered  his 
men,  and  marching  southward,  took  up  a  strong  posi- 
tion on  the  heights  of  Senlac,  as  the  battle-field  was 
afterwards  called,  seven  miles  from  William's  camp. 

Early  the  next  morning  the  Normans  prepared  to 
storm  the  English  fortification  on  the  hill.  It  is  said 
„    ,    ,  that  William,  as  he  was  putting  on  his  hauberk, 

Battle  of  ,     .        1  TT • 

seniac,oror  body  armor,  turned  it  the  wrong  way.  His 
(Oct-^M!  men  were  alarmed,  thinking  it  a  bad  omen;  but 
1066).  YVilliam,  with  ready  wit,  claimed  it  as  a  good 
omen,  for  that  day,  he  said,  was  to  change  a  Norman 
duke  into  an  English  king.  The  fight  was  long  and 
doubtful,  Harold's  position  being  very  dif^cult  of  at- 
tack. At  last  William  pretended  to  retreat.  This 
drew  a  part  of  the  English  out  of  their  stronghold, 
and  the  Normans  turned  upon  them,  defeated  them,  and 
again  attacked  the  fort.  They  fought  with  bows  and 
arrows,   and  an  arrow  pierced    Harold  to  the  brain. 


• '1  i 


1066.]    WILLIAM'S   CLAIM   TO  THE  ENGLISH   CROWN.      25 

He  fell  mortally  wounded,  and  William  of  Normandy 
became  master  of  southern  England. 

Who  was  this  William  of  Normandy,  and  what  right 
had  he  to  claim  the  throne  of  England  >     Long  befo^re 
while  King  Alfred  was  fighting  the  Danes  in 
England,  another  northern  tribe  under  Rollo  or  'i^eCon- 
Rolf,  was  besieging  Paris  in  France;  and  the  KI 
French  king,  to  get  rid  of  Rolf,  gave  him  the  '°*''- 
city  of  Rouen,  and  some  land  along  the  sea-coast   on 
condition  that  he  should  become  a  Christian,  and  should 
render  service  to  the  French  king  in   time  of  war. 
The  region  first  given  to  him  was  called  the  North- 
men's land;  but  as  years  went  on,  and  the  Northmen 
grew  civilized,  and  adopted  the  French  language   they 
called  themselves  Normans,  and  their  land  Normandy 
Now,  William,   the  Conqueror  of  England,   was  the 
descendant  and  successor  of  this  Rolf,  who  had  invaded 
France. 

As  to  his  right  to  the  throne  of  England,  William 
always  said  that  Edward  the  Confessor  had  promised 

fni^J"""'.!'."'  '\r'"°'   ^'^''^"^''  toP^n^ise,  HisCai. 

and  the     Wise  Men  "  had,  at  any  rate,  chosen  g„"- , 
Harold.     Wilham,  however,   referred  the  mat-  ""»"• 
ter  to  the  Pope  of  Rome,  and  by  promising  to  bring 
the  English  Church  into  closer  union  with  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,   he  won  the   Pope's  consent  to  his 
invasion.     At  Senlac  he  broke  the  strength  of  En<.- 
and;  and  though  it  took  five  years  more  to  complete 
the  conquest,  yet  the  date  of  this  battle  is  perhaps  the 
most  important  in  English  history.     To  fix  the  memory 
of  the  event,  the  Conqueror  built  an  abbey  on  the  spot 
where  Harold  fell,  and  inscribed  on  it  the  names  of  the 
Gorman  knights  who  fought  there.     Only  the  founda- 


26 


THE  NORMAN  CONQUEST. 


[1066. 


1086.] 


DOMESDAY  BOOK. 


27 


tion  of  the  building  now  remains;  but  Americans  and 
Englishmen  still  like  to  trace  their  "  Norman  blood  " 
to  those  whose  names  are  on  the  roll  of  Battle  Abbey. 
The    Norman  Conquest  was  unlike  any  other   con- 
quest of  England,   because  it  gave  only  a  new  set  of 
Effect      rulers,  and  left  the  laws  and  political  institu- 
Q^^^      tions  to  a  large  extent  unchanged.     Yet  there 
quest,      ^as  a  great  change  in  the  ownership  of  the  land, 
and   it  came  about  in  this  way.     In  the  first  place, 
William  claimed  that  ever  since   Edward's  death  he 
had  been  the  only  lawful  king  in  England.     If  this  was 
true,  then  it  followed  that  Harold  had  not  been  king 
at  all ;  and  from  this  it  followed  again  that  every  one 
who  had  supported   Harold,  or  had  failed  to  support 
William,  was  a  traitor.     Now,  it  was  the  English  law 
that  the  lands  of  traitors  should  be  taken  from  them, 
and  become  the  property  of  the  king.     Therefore,  as 
nearly  all  Englishmen  had  been  on  Harold's  side,  or 
had  opposed  William's  claim  in  some  way,  nearly  all 
lost  their  lands,  which  the  king  gave   to   his   favor- 
ites; and  this,   it  must  be  remembered,  not  by  mere 
right   of    conquest,  but   under   the   regular  forms   of 
English  law.     In  other  ways,  too,  the  same  thing  took 
place;  that  is,  the  old  forms  were- kept  up,  but  were 
in  the  hands  of  different  men.     The  English  "  Meeting 
of  the  Wise  Men,"  for  instance,  was  still  continued, 
but  only  Normans  came  to  it.     However,  within  less 
than  a  hundred  years  the  Normans  themselves  changed 
very  much,  becoming  English  in  looks  and  manners, 
Continu-   s^  ^^^^  i^  ^^^  really  hard  to  tell  from  which 
\ly  °/.  ^     stock   a   man  was   descended.      Thus   the   old 

English 

history.     English  institutions  were  again  carried  on  by 
Englishmen.     This  continuity  of  English  history  is  a 


vl 


4 


very  important  fact.  To  it  we  owe  much  that  is  best  in 
our  laws  and  institutions,  and  to  it  we  owe  the  best 
and  strongest  part  of  our  speech. 

After  a  time  a  great  many  Englishmen  were  able  to 
buy  back  part  of  their  land  from  their  Norman  rulers. 
Now,  all  landowners,  whether  English  or  Nor- 
man, owed    certain  duties,  called  "services,"  in   £7'" 
person  or  in  money  to  the  king,  as  their  "over-    ^°''^- 
lord."     To  find  out  exactly  what  was  due  him,  the 
Conqueror  sent  men  to  all  parts  of  England  to  look 
into  the  titles  of  estates  and  estimate  their  value. 
The  results  were  most  carefully  written  down  in  a 
great  book,  called  the  "Domesday  Book,"  which  was 
then  kept  at  Winchester.     It  can  still  be  seen  at  Lon- 
don, and  is  so  valuable  that  every  page  has  been  photo- 
graphed and  reprinted  exactly  as  it  was  first  written. 

It  took  about  a  year  to  make  this  Great  Survey. 
When  it  was  done,  William  ordered  all  but  the  small- 
est landowners  to  meet  him  on  Salisbury  Plain.  The  oath 
Sixty  thousand  came.  They  took  a  most  solemn  ^J^^'^' 
oath  to  support  William  as  king,  even  against  ^  "°86). 
their  own  lords.  This  made  the  English  for  the  first 
time  one  nation.  It  was  also  a  most  important  modi- 
fication of  the  feudal  system,  for  it  made  all  landowners 
directly  subject  to  the  king.  Then,  too,  William  did 
away  with  the  old  earldoms,  and  his  foresight  in  these 
regards  prevented  his  nobles  or  barons  from  becoming 
the  equals  of  their  king,  as  was  the  case  in  France  and 
Germany.  Thus  England,  in  a  great  measure,  escaped 
the  petty  wars  which  for  centuries  disturbed  the  rest 
of  western  Europe. 

In  many  other  ways,  too,  the  Norman  Conquest  af- 
fected England.     For  example,  before  long  all  the  best 


28 


THE   NORMAN   CONQUEST. 


[1086. 


places  in  the  Church  were  filled  with  foreigners.  But 
most  of  the  new  bishops  and  abbots  were  far  supe- 
rior in  morals  and  education  to  the  English- 
influence  ,  1  ^1  1  ^ 
of  the      men   whom   they  succeeded.     They  were   also 

catholic  devoted  to  the  Pope  of  Rome,  and  soon  made  the 
on"'"^  English  National  Church  a  part  of  the  Roman 
England.  (^^^hoHc  Church.  But  William,  while  willing  to 
bow  to  the  Pope  as  his  chief  in  religious  matters,  refused 
to  give  way  to  him  in  things  which  concerned  only 
this  world.  No  former  English  king  had  done  that, 
he  knew,  and  no  more  would  he.  This  union  with  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  was  of  the  greatest  benefit  to 
Eno-land.  as  it  brought  her  once  more  into  connection 
with  the  educated  men  of  Europe.  Indeed,  Lanfranc, 
the  Conqueror's  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  was  one  of 
the  best  and  wisest  men  of  his  day. 

In  character  the  first  William  was  stern  to  those 
who  disobeyed  him.  '*  So  harsh  and  cruel  was  he  that 
The  New  ^^o^^  dared  withstand  him,"  says  an  old  chroni- 
Forest.  ^i^  gut  jt  must  bc  remembered  that  it  took  a 
man  of  very  strong  will  to  rule  England  at  that  time. 
Next  to  war,  William's  greatest  passion  was  for  hunt- 
ing. **  He  loved  the  tall  deer  as  though  he  had  been 
their  father."  To  provide  a  home  for  them  he  ordered 
a  large  tract  in  Hampshire  to  be  turned  into  a  forest. 
And  to  still  better  preserve  them,  he  made  a  law  that 
any  one  who  should  kill  a  deer  without  leave  should 
lose  both  his  eyes.  The  very  name  of  this  New  Forest, 
therefore,  was  hateful  to  his  subjects,  and  two  of  his 
sons  and  one  grandson  lost  their  lives  within  its 
limits. 

The   Normans   were   great    builders.      The   White 
Tower  —  the  oldest  part  of  the  Tower  of  London  — 


1087.] 


WILLIAM'S    DEATH. 


29 


was  built  by  the  Conqueror  as  a  fortress  to  hold  the 
Londoners    in    check.       The   old    Westminster    ,     , 

London 

Hall  was  the  work  of  his  son  William,  the  Red   '^ower 
King,    while   all    over    England    some   of    the   West- 
grandest  cathedral  churches  were  planned  and   Ha"iL^'^ 
built  by  the  early  Norman  bishops. 

The    Conqueror's    last    years   were   very   unhappy. 
His  oldest  son,  Robert,  rebelled,  and  the  French  kins: 
did  his  utmost  to  annoy  him.     At  last,  in  an-   wii 
swer  to   one   of  this   king's    insults,    William    ^^^^ 
ordered  the  little  town  of  Mantes  to  be  burned.    ('°S7). 
While  he  was  riding  through  the  town  to  see  that  his 
orders  were  carried  out,  his  horse  stepped  on  a  burn- 
ing coal.     The  king's  fat  body  was  thrown  against  the 
high  point  of  his  saddle,  and  in  three  weeks  he  died. 
Normandy  passed  under  the  rule   of   his  eldest  son, 
Robert.     The  second  son,  William,  received  his  ring 
and  a  letter  to   Lanfranc  desiring  the  archbishop  to 
crown  him  as  king  of  England,  if  it  were  right.     To 
Henry,    the   youngest   son,    he   gave   only   a   sum   of 
money.     As  soon  as  the  Conqueror  was  dead  his  sons 
hastened  away  to  take  possession  of  their  inheritances. 
So  stern  had  he  been  to  his  servants  that  they  refused 
to  touch  his  body;  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  even 
a  piece  of  land  was  bought  for  a  grave. 


A  SILVER  PENNY  OF  WILLIAM  THE  CONQUEROR. 


'jmk- 


.'A  '^'Jt^!m>m*>~,  iSBSSW*!,*--  ~it'*-  •■•' 


'■'Hf<  -^ 


nil    \»»KM 


\<  >i  i:si 


.St, 


U  11  II  \M  ^     I»l    \  III 


-9 


»latu 


II) 


the  Clninh   wrvr  lill.-.l  with  lorri-nci 


r.iii 


in»>> 


I   •,!    \hr    lU'W    l)i,>h<>|>^    an« 


;ihi)(»ts   \vn\" 


tar 


.111 


)r 


hiM'.i'nti 
..I  th.,- 
Kitiii.tii 
<    it 
I   l>i;i<  !i 


t  ioi"    in    iiioiaN  am 


1    rtliK-alion    to    llu-    Iji-lish 


niri)    whom    thi'\    >ik*.rr< 


h:.l        rhr\ 


wru 


,l|st  t 


u.Z    ,|v'\Mtr.l  to  tlir  l*oi>cof  K oinr.  aiK I -o. Ml  ma< Ir  ihr 
l-jvlish    Natioii;il    (  hmrh  a  part  "I    ihr   Uohmh 


iMi  •l.m 


(\itholir  China  h.      IWil  \\  illiaii 


1.  \s 


hii' 


willing  to 


|)mw  to  tlh-  Toprashisrhirl  in  nil- ions  inatlii-.  irln^rd 

hirh    roiuaaiud    onl\ 
kin-    had   <loiu'   that. 


to   -ui-   way 


to  1 


lini    in   thinL;>   u 


11  >    wo 


tl 


hr  k 


iM.      \o   lornu-j-    l-aiL 


lUW 


md  no  nioi  r  won 


1.1  i 


u- 


Tl 


lis  union  with  t  Ik- 


Kojiian  ( "athidii-  ( 'hin\  h  was  o 


I   tin-  vicatrst   hi'iu-fit   l<> 


l-ai'land,  a^  it   hion-ht    luT  onrr  niorr   into  connrction 


w  I 


I  h  tlu-  cdmati'd  nu-n  ol    laiiojK- 
,    (  t HKjiha*  •!   s  Aia  hhi:- 


In  In-d,    LanliaiH 


t|  (  antii  hin  \ .  was  one  o 


ihv.'  hrst  and  wisest  mm  ot  his  da\ 


w 


In    . 

hod 


haiiutrr   th«'    liist    \\'illi:im    was    <trni    1«»    thosr 
isohcwcd  him. 


"So  haish  and  iiaud  was  hr  that 
noiK-  daia'd  withstand  him,"'  sa\s  an  n\i\  rhroni- 
l-.»i.->t.  ^^.]^^  |»i,t  \i  niii>t  l)r  la'nu-mhrird  that  it  took  a 
man  ot"   vrrv  st  n>n--  will   to  rnlr    I'n-laml  at  that  timr. 


I  h»-  Ni'U 


\r\l    I 


t»  war 


Will 


iam's  L:;rc'.iti'st  j)assion  was 


I  or  1 


Hint 


in: 


'Kl-  Io\a-d   tlu-  tall   di-rr  as   thon-h  hr   had    hrrn 
tlu-ir  tathrr."      To  pioxidi"  a  honu-  hn-  thnn  lu-  i>r(Uaa-d 
trail    in    I  lampshiia-  to  hr  t  imu'd  into  a  h.ivst . 


U" 


And    to  still  hrttcr   prrsrrvi'  thrm,  hr   madi"  a  Liw  th;it 


any  one  w  ho   si; 
lose  l>(»th  his  ove 


1    kill   a  deer   w  ithont    h-avi-   should 


Tl 


ir  W'l'V  name  o 


f  this  W'w  h'oii'st 


Ih 


r re to re 


w 


as    hatetnl  to  his   snhieits,  and   two  ot    hi 


sons    and    onv 


I 


randson    lost     their    lives    within    its 


til 


limit: 


Tlu-    \ormans    were    L;Teat     builder 


he 


Whit 


Tower        the    oldest    j)ai"t    ot    the   Towi-r    ot    London  — 


was 


huilt 


>vthe    ("lUKnieroi    .i.>   a   lortn.s.s    i..    jmld    tl 


I  .oiidoiiers    in    eheek.         The    (dtl     \\  esiminstei 

Mall  was  tlu-  work  ot    his  son  William,  the   l\ed  '"^^'' 

Kihi;,     while    all     over     hai-land     some    ol     iIk-  u.-t 

;^randesl    eathedral    ehurehes  were  planned   and  I'l 


ilhluli 


imii^li  I 


)\-   th( 


earl  V 


N 


orman 


l.isi 


lol)>. 


Tl 


H'     ^  oiupieror's    last     \ears    were    \ei\'    iiiihapp\ 


Ills  oldest  son,    ivohert,   rehelled,  and  the  j-'ieneli   k 


in: 


lid   his   utmost  to  annov  him. 
wer    to    (die    of    this    kin: 


At    last,  in   an 


u 


s    msiills. 


W 


ordered   the  little  town  (.>1"   Mantes  to  be  1 
While   he  was  ridini:    throu-h    th<-  t 


1 1  liam 
)nrned. 


II. till 


(' 


•  rders  were   earried  ont.  his   hor 


'^vM  t. .  see  that    his 
slepjjed    (tn  a  bmii- 


ni: 


en: 


1.        The  1 


sin-'s  tat  l)ody  was  thrown  a-ainst  tlu 
hi-h  point  of  his  saddle,  and  m  three  weeks  he  died. 
Nitrmandy    jiassed    undei"   the    rule    ot'    his   eldest    son, 


Robert.      Th 


!-•   second    son 


Will 


iam,  reeeix'ed  his  rin- 


.md  a  letter  to  LantVane  desiiin--  the  arehbishop  t 
la-owai  him  as  kin--  ot  hai-kind,  it'  it  weie  ri.-ht.  T 
llenrv,    the    vonn^est    .son.    he 


( ) 


( ) 


a\'e    oniv    a    sum 


moiKv 


s  soon  as  the  Coiupieror  was  de;id    his   son: 


li.istened  away  to  fake  possession  ..j  iheir  inherilai 
So  stern  had   lu-  been  to  his  servants  that   tl 


lees. 


le\    reliis(( 


to  loiieh   his  body;  and  it  was  with  di11ieiilt\   that 
I  pieee  of  land  was  bon-ht  lor  a  ura\e. 


e\  III 


A    SI!,VI  K     IKNNV 


>\    WW  ]  \  \M    riii 


'  iS'ji   IIC<  •!< 


'*a 


^SSS^SS^i^TT' 


30 


WILLIAM   IL,  THE   RED. 


[1087. 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE    NORMAN    KINGS. 


1087- 1 154. 

THE  younger  William  had  a  big  red  face,  and  peo- 
ple called  him  Rufus,  or  the  Red.  Many  of  the 
great  barons  of  England,  owning  large  estates  in  Nor- 
mandy, would  have  preferred  to  have  but  one  ruler  for 
„..„.       both  countries.     But  Robert  was  absent,  and  as 

W  ilham  ' 

II.,  the  William  Rufus  promised  Lanfranc  to  govern 
(1087-  well,  the  archbishop  crowned  him  king  without 
"  delay.     William  was  a  good   soldier  and  hun- 

ter, and  he  kept  the  nobles  in  order;  but  there  was 
nothing  else  that  was  good  about  him. 

Above  all,  he  was  fond  of  extravagance  and  show. 

One  day  his  servants  brought  him  a  pair  of  new  boots. 

"  How  much  did  they  cost  ?  "  demanded  the  king. 

His  

extrava-  "Three  shillings,"  the  man  replied.  In  a  rage 
gance.      ^^^  ^^^  King  thrcw  them  from  him,  demanding 

boots  that  cost  three  times  as  much.  The  servant  was 
a  sharp  man.  He  soon  returned  with  a  pair  of  cheaper 
boots,  though  he  told  his  master  they  were  very  expen- 
sive. "Ay,"  exclaimed  Rufus,  as  he  pulled  them 
on,  "these  are  suited  to  royal  majesty."  After  this 
his  servants  always  charged  him  twice  as  much  as  his 
food  and  clothes  really  cost.  They  grew  rich  very 
fast.  But  the  English  people,  who  had  to  pay  for  all 
this  waste,  were  not  very  sorry  when  the  Red  King  was 


1 100.  J 


HENRY  I. 


31 


found  one  afternoon  in  the  New  Forest  with  an  arrow 
in  his  shoulder.      No  one  knows  who  killed  him.     An 
intimate  companion    named    Wat   Tyrrel,    who 
was  with  him  at  the  time,  rode  away  as  fast  as   ^^'^'^^• 
he  could.      It    is    thought    that   perhaps   Wat   Tyrrel 
killed  him  by  accident.      Others  say  his  servants  shot 
him.     At  any  rate,   no  sooner  was  the  breath  out  of 
his  body  than  his  servants  deserted  him.     If  a  poor 
charcoal  man  had  not  found  the  body,  and  carried  it 
to  Winchester  in  his  cart,  William  Rufus  might  never 
have  been  buried. 

It  chanced  that  the  Conqueror's  youngest  son  Henry 
was  riding  in  the  New  Forest  at  the  time.     The  instant 
he  knew  of  his  brother's  death  he  put  spurs  to 
his  horse  and  galloped  to   Winchester,   where  fZZ'' 
the  royal  treasure  was  then  kept.     After  he  had  "^^^' 
once  made  sure  of  that,  his  election  was  certain,  and 


.r 


THE    NORMAN    KINGS. 

{English  kings  in  italics.) 

Rollo,  or  Rolf,  Duke  of  Normandy. 
William. 
Richard  the  Fsarless. 


Richard  the  Good. 
Robert  the  Devil. 
William  /.,  the  Conqueror. 


~~\ 


Ethelred  the  Unready  (,)  nt.  Emma  m.  (2)  CnuL 

I  I 

Edward  the  Confessor.  Harthacnut. 


descendant  of      .       (         of  Blois. 
I  Cednc.  Stephen. 


William 
(drowned). 


Maud  (Matilda)  m.  Geoffrey  of  Anjou. 
Henry  II, 


32 


THE  NORMAN   KINGS. 


[iioo. 


three  days  later  he  was  crowned  at  Westminster.  Still 
there  were  many  barons  who  would  have  preferred  the 
elder  brother  Robert,  Duke  of  Normandy,  for  king; 
so  Henry  was  obliged  to  fall  back  on  the  native  Eng- 
lish for  support.  To  please  them  he  married  Edith,  or 
Matilda,  daughter  of  the  king  of  Scots.  She  was 
descended,  through  her  mother,  from  the  old  English 
line,  and  in  this  way  a  descendant  of  Cedric  again 
came  to  rule  in  England.  This  marriage  bound  the 
English  to  Henry,  and  they  stood  by  him  in  all  his 
quarrels  and  wars. 

Indeed,  he  soon  found  himself  so  strong  in  England 
that  he  crossed  over  to  Normandy,  took  his  brother 
Conquers  ^"^^  Robcrt  prisoucr,  and  shut  him  up  for  the 

maidy.  ^^^^  ^^  ^^^  ^^^^'  ^^^^  ^^^  ^^^^  important  still, 
he  conquered  a  large  part  of  Wales  and  joined 
it  to  England.  In  England  itself  he  governed  so  well 
that  an  old  writer  declared:  "No  man  durst  ill-treat 
another  in  his  days.  Peace  he  made  for  man  and 
beast."  He  had  a  good  education,  too,  for  a  soldier 
of  his  time,  and  people  called  him  "Beauclerc," — 
good-scholar. 

Henry  had  two  children,  William  and  Matilda,  or 
Maud.  He  was  very  fond  of  them,  and  they  often  ac- 
The  companied  him  in  his  journeyings.  One  after- 
wwte  noon  he  sailed  from  a  little  harbor  on  the  French 
coast  for  England.  His  son  followed  in  "The 
White  Ship,"  whose  captain  was  the  son  of  the  very 
captain  who  had  steered  the  great  William  on  his  con- 
quering voyage.  The  young  people  delayed,  dancing 
and  drinking  till  it  was  dark.  Then,  just  as  she  was 
leaving  the  harbor,  "The  White  Ship"  struck  on  a 
rock  and  went  down.     As  the  prince  with  a  few  others 


"35] 


STEPHEN. 


33 


was  rowing  away  in  a  little  boat,   he  heard  his  fair 
cousm,  the  Countess  of  Perche,  calling  after  hfn.      ^ 
went  back.     The  drowning  me^  crowd'ed  t^^^^^^^^^  ,,2^ 
I   sank,  and  when  morning  dawned  one  only  a  butche; 
of  Rouen  was  saved.     When  Henry  heard  5  hfs      J 
sad  end  he  dropped  senseless  to  the  floor,  and  Ts  said 
never  to  have  smiled  again.     One  of  Ms.  Hemans's 
best-known  poems  is  founded  on  this  evenf      T  f 
a  poem  by  Rossetti,  "The  White  Ship  '        '      '  '^'' 
But  Henry  did  not  give  up  all  idea  of  founding  a 
ine  of  kmgs.     He  made  the  barons  swear  to  be  tfue 
o  his   daughter  Maud,   and  then   married  her  o  J 
to  Geoffrey  Plantagenet,  Count  of  Anjou,  one  ^^^^ 
of  the  greatest  nobles  in  France.     No   s;oner  S!^ 
was   Henry   dead,    however    th;,n    h;      ,       "^"^ 

He  even  defeated  Maud's  uncle,  David,  king  o 

Scots,  ,n  battle.     But  when  he  had  given  to  the  ff""^" 

Ma  d      r"'  '''^  t''^'''  '^'™'  -^  tooklhe^rt  of 

ctsfu,  that%rr°  '^"^''"''  ^"^  ^'  «-^  --  -  suc- 
cessful that  Stephen  was  captured  and  put  in  prison 

nd  she  was  recognized  as  queen,  or  ratLr  "Ij;  •  "^ 

n  thosf  old'df  ''Z  ""'  '''''  ''''  P"^--  -'"-"  y 
c  owned      i^t  "'  '"""  ^^"*  ^^  London  to  be 

Tl...  civil  war  lasted  fourtten  years.     I,  was  a  ter- 

3 


■Mii 


■| 


34 


THE  NORMAN   KINGS. 


[1154 


"54- J 


HENRY  H. 


Civil 
war. 


rible  time  for  the  English  people.  The  great  barons 
would  sometimes  come  forth  from  their  castles  and 
plunder  whole  towns.  The  roads  were  so  un- 
safe, it  is  said,  that  a  lonely  traveller,  if  he  saw 
another  man  in  the  distance,  would  leave  the  road  and 
try  to  conceal  himself  until  danger  was  over.  But 
everything  has  an  end,  and  in  1153  the  bishops  con- 
trived to  make  an  agreement  by  which  Stephen  was  to 
be  king  for  the  rest  of  his  life,  with  the  understanding 
that  at  his  death  the  throne  should  go  to  Maud's  son, 
Henry  Plantagenet.     The  next  year  Stephen  died. 


SEAL  OF   MILO  OF  GLOUCESTER,   SHOWING  MOUNTED   ARMED   FIGURE 

IN   THE   REIGN   OF   HENRY  I. 


35 


CHAPTER   VI. 

THE   FIRST   TWO   PLANTAGENETS. 
1154-1199. 

H  ™^^  ^^'^   ^^^^"""^  "^^^  °"'y  twenty-one   years 
1  1     old  when  he  became  king  of  England.      But 
he  already  was  a  very  powerful  man,  as  he  ruled  over 
more  than  one-third  of  France.     He  was  called  Plan- 
tagenet, from  a  bit  of  broom  plant  (p/anU-de-  Henrv 
^ene't)  which   he   and    his    father   were   accus    "• 
tomed  to  wear  in  their  helmets  to  distinguish  "^h 
them  from  other  knights. 

Henry  was   a  very  great   king.      He   made   many 
changes   in   the   laws   and   customs  of   England,    the 
effects   of   which   we    still   feel.       He   divided  His 
England  into  circuits,  and  appointed  persons  on  "'^°"«^- 
vvhoip  he  could  rely,  to  travel  round  in  these  circuits 
and   see   that   all   men,    nobles  and   commons   alike' 

ttr .  V     1     .'•      ^''   ^"^"^'^   J"dg^«   «till   travel 
through  England,  as  do  many  American  judges  through 

TLr"l7-     '^''"  ''''''  J"^S^^  ---    '-^g-ther  !n 
L  ndon,  they  sat  as  the  King's  Court,  and  were  then 

called  justices.      When   hearing  cases  in  which  the 

wTr/''.'°f  "■""'''  '^'y'^'  ^^"""'J  ^  great  table 

with  a  top  divided  like  a  chequer-board.     They  were 

hence  called  barons  of  the  exchequer,-a  word  which 

of  th!  V     V  f  '^^  "^'""  °^  °"^  °f  the  departments 
ot  the  English  government. 


96 


34 


nil     \.i|;M\\    KIN' 


1 1 1  ,-l 


iiixki    II 


,,M,.   tinul.T   tlu-    i:n:Jwh  luoplr.      Thr  -R-at   barons 
u-,,uM    >nnumn..    cmiu     LTth    Ipmi    tlun    ca>lU-s  an.l 
,.,„        |,luncU  r   uhnlr    low„s.      -nu-   io,ul>  unv   >■.   un 
"!.V         ,.,,..     n    i>  .,11,1,   lh.it  ,1  1-nrlv  travrll.r,   il  lu-  >au 
,„„„lKT'man   in  llu- .l,>taiu  r,  w.nl.l   U-avc  llu-  ru.,,1  ,,n,i 
,,v    to    r..nrr,,l    him^rll     until    .lan-.r    «,i-    -vrv,       hnl 
.■v,-,vtlnnu   iKi^an   >n.l.  ,in.l    in    M  3.^   H^'   l'i>lf.|-  ^ "" 
tnxol   l,,n,akr,,na.4iv>nunt    l.v  whuli  Strplim  was  to 
iH-kuv  lorthcivst  ol  l,i>|.k-.  with  tin-  nn.Ur.t.iiHhn.^ 
that  at'his.K-atli  tlu   lltione  shouM  ,uo  f.    Mau<l  s   son, 
H.-nrv  lMantai;rn.t.       Ihr  nrxt  war  StcplRU  >liol. 


,|A1     "K    Mil 


,,  ,,r  ,a..i  ,  isrvK.  siicuim:  M..rMii.    \kmi  !•  i  i-.rr.i 

IN     I  111      KTH.N    ol     IM.MV    1. 


an 


(■||.\i'Ti;k   \-| 

rnr,   i  ik.-t   iuo  i'i.antai.i.xki,, 

1154-111/9. 

I  ]\\UV  Ihr  .K,v,,n,|  was  „nlv  lu.mvon,-  v,  .irs 
«  I  o|,|  ulun  lu-  iKv.nnr  Nin.^  .,|  lui^Jlaml.  '  |!,„ 
"  .ihv.iily  u.is;,  very  |,ouvrliil  man,  ,,.s  |,r  ni|,,|  ,,v,r 
'■IV  ihanon,--lhinl  ol  |-nnuv.  II,.  uas  callr,|  |'l,, 
-""''•  '"""  •'  I'll  "I  l'io,,ni  |.|:nil  (/■/„,//,,/,-  ,,,,„ 
■     '    "''''I'    1'^-    'iii'l    In--    lallur    wore    accus-   ''  '"" 

';"^'>'l   1"  uvar   in   lluir  lulincis  to  .li.st  jn-nish  '"     ■ 

!ii'iii    lioni   ollu'r   knli;his. 

"""■>■    ''■■'■"    •'    ^■"•ly   .^ival    kin^,       II,.    n,.„l,-    nnnv 
■'-"■-;<-    n,    ilic    law.    an,|    .uslonis   ,,|     |;„    ,,,„|     ,1,,'. 
;""'^    "'     ^^I'i'l'     »^'     Mill     (rr).         II,-    .l,v„le,l   „ 
'  "-'■""'  '"lorirniifs,  an,la|,i,,,inl,,|  |HrM,n.    ,,„ 

""J'  luToiikl  ,vlv,  lolrav,-!  r,„ni,|  in  ih..,-  ,ir,  „i,. 
!"'  '^'^^  "'■'"  ■'"  '">■",  noiiK-s  and  ronm,,,,,.  ,,i,|,,' 
,.  '■'■'  "1'^-  J-'-.s.  The  i;n,li.h  iu,l,..s  still  „,,v,.i 
•  '•■"i^h  l-.n^lan,!,  as.lonianv  American  jml^vs  thr,„r.h 
,'"  ;"""•;■>••  ^^'l'^'"  'l>-^'  in.l.^cs  eame  to,.,lurm 
";;"';"'.  >l,ev.sat  as  the  Kind's  Cmrt,  an,!  we,  e  ,h,a, 
'  '"I  Ji'stiees.  When  hearin-  cases  in  which  the 
•■ -mio  was  oHK-erne.l,  they  .sat  anmnd  a  .^reat  table 
^•'"   ■'   '"I'  'iivi.lcl   like  a   che,|ner-boar,l.      Thev  were 

■  ".y  called  barons  „f  the  e.u-l,e,|uer.- a  wor,rwhi,h 

■  -II    M.seil    ,as   the   name  of  one  of  the   de|.ar,  nients 
•■'    ^l"-'   I'.M.t^lish   "..verninenl. 


\\ 


I ,  ., 


m 


TTTTT^srs*; 


#■>!  Ti  ifiiiiiili  iiHiniiiiiii  T 


:>^ 


THE   FIRST  TWO   PLANTAGENETS. 


[1164. 


1 189.] 


CONQUEST  OF  IRELAND. 


37 


All  these  good  things  Henry  was  able  to  do  because 
he  had  the  support  of  the  great  mass  of  the  people. 
Shield-  H^  trusted  them,  and  instead  of  disarming 
money,  them,  Ordered  every  freeman  to  keep  arms  suita- 
ble to  his  social  position.  In  addition  to  this  national 
militia,  Henry  had  a  feudal  army.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  since  the  time  of  the  great  William  nearly 
all  English  land  was  held  on  what  was  called  a  feudal 
tenure.  That  is,  instead  of  paying  rent  for  their  pieces 
of  land,  or  feuds,  the  great  landholders  promised  to 
serve  the  king  in  time  of  war  with  their  followers  for 
forty  days  every  year  at  their  own  expense.  Henry 
made  a  law  that  all  who  were  legally  obliged  to  follow 
him,  and  yet  wished  to  stay  at  home,  could  do  so  if 
they  would  pay  "shield-money,"  or  "scutage,"  instead. 
A  very  great  many  preferred  to  stay  at  home ;  and  with 
this  money  Henry  hired  a  large  army  of  foreigners. 
The  result  was  that  the  barons  grew  less  and  less  war- 
like, and,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Crown  was  much 
strengthened. 

There  was  one  thing,  however,  that  proved  even 
stronger  than  Henry  Plantagenet ;  that  was  the 
^i^g^^^  Church.  The  king  wished  to  have  the  clergy, 
stitutions  whenever  they  committed  criminal  acts,  tried  by 

of  Clar-  -'  -' 

endon  his  judgcs,  like  other  people.  He  summoned  the 
*  ** '  bishops  and  the  great  barons  to  Clarendon,  and 
by  the  "Constitutions"  formed  at  that  place  they  all 
agreed  to  do  as  he  wished.  The  Pope  did  not  approve 
this,  and,  following  him,  the  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury withdrew  his  consent.  Henry  could  not  reach 
the  Pope,  but  he  revenged  himself  on  the  archbishop. 
This  was  Thomas  Becket,  the  son  of  a  Norman  citizen 
of  London.      In  earlier  days  he  and  Henry  had  been 


i 


5ft 


%^ 


3 


great  friends ;  but  no  sooner  had  Thomas  become  arch- 
bishop than  he  did  all   he  could   to  strengthen   the 
Church,  whether  the  king  liked  it  or  not.     Becket  fled 
to  France;  but  in   11 70  he  and  Henry  became  recon- 
ciled.    He  had  hardly  reached  Canterbury,  however, 
before  he  suspended  the  Archbishop  of  York,  who  had 
done  Henry  a  service.     When  Henry  heard  this  he 
flew  into  a  passion,  exclaiming:  "What  cowards  have 
I  brought  up  in  my  court!     Not  one  will  rid   me  of 
this  low-born  priest."     Reginald   Fitzurse  and  three 
other  knights  took  this  as  an  order.     They  hurried  to 
Canterbury,  pursued  Thomas  Becket  even  to  the  altar 
in  the  cathedral,  and  killed  him.     It  was  a  dreadful 
deed,  and  Henry  was  very  sorry  that  he  had   lost  his 
temper.     Indeed,  all  his  good  fortune  seemed  to  desert 
him  from  that  time,   until   he  knelt   before   Becket's 
tomb  and  bade  the  monks  beat  his  bare  shoulders. 

It  was  in  Henry's  reign  that  Richard  of  Clare, 
Maurice  Fitz-Gerald,  and  other  Norman  knights  went 
over  to  Ireland  and  put  Dermot,  king  of  Lein- 
ster,  back  on  his  throne  again.  After  Dermot's  quett  of 
death,  Richard  of  Clare  married  his  daughter,  ^'^'^"''* 
and  ruled  over  Leinster;  but  he  was  afraid  of  Henry's 
jealousy,  and  gave  up  his  conquests  to  him.  Henry 
crossed  over  to  Ireland,  and  was  recognized  as  the 
sovereign  of  the  island.  But  he  never  really  con- 
quered it,  and  for  hundreds  of  years  Ireland  remained 
the  scene  of  strife  between  the  descendants  of  the 
Normans  on  the  one  side,  and  their  Irish  neighbors  on 
the  other. 

Henry's  last  years  were  even  more   unhappy  than 
those  of  the  Conqueror.     His  sons  rebelled,  and 
were  so  ably  assisted  by  King  Philip  Augustus  ^o^'^' 


38 


THE   FIRST  TWO    PLANTAGENKTS. 


EFFIGIES  OF    HENRY   THE   SECOND   AND  «^UEEN    ELEANOR. 


1 192.] 


RICHARD  I. 


39 


of  France  that  he  had  to  submit  to  their  demands.  He 
asked  to  see  the  list  of  those  joined  against  him.  It 
was  headed  by  the  name  of  his  favorite  son,  John. 
The  old  king's  heart  was  broken.  "Now  let  things  go 
as  they  will,"  he  said;  '^I  care  no  more  for  myself  or 
the  world."     In  a  few  weeks  he  was  dead. 

But  John  did  not  at  once  become  king,  for  Richard, 
his  elder  brother,  was  in  the  way.     Richard  came  over 
to  London,  was  crowned,  and  then,  as  soon  as 
he  had  scraped  together  all  the  money  he  could,  /^'.t^'  ^' 
set  out  with  his  friend  King  Philip  to  conquer  '""^'^^* 
the  Holy  Land.     They  quarrelled  almost  as  soon  as 
they  reached  that  land,  and  Philip  returned  home  to 
seize  all  of  Richard's  French  possessions  that  he  could 
reach.     In    England,  too,  John    rose   to   the   head   of 
affairs,  although  Richard  had  left  a  friend  of  his  own 
to  govern  in  his  absence.     Richard  did  not  lay  siege  to 
Jerusalem,  but  set  off  on  his  return  to  Iingland.      He 
was  wrecked  on  the  shores  of  the  Adriatic,  and  while 
trying  to  get  through  Austria  unseen,  was  arrested  by 
Duke  Leopold,    whom    he  had  insulted   in  the   Holy 
Land.     Duke  Leopold  handed  him  over  to  the  ICm- 
peror,  who  kept  him  close  prisoner  until  the  Juiglish 
people  paid  a  large  ransom.     It  is  said  that  John  even 
tried  to  bribe  the  Emperor  to  keep  him  still  longer. 

At  any  rate,  when  he  got  back  to  lilngland,  Richard 
did  not  punish  John  very  severely  for  his  disloyalty. 
As  soon  as  he  got  together  an  army,  however,  Richard's 
Richard  crossed  over  to  P>ance  to  take  vengeance  '^^*^^''- 
on  Philip  Augustus.  He  accomplished  little,  and  while 
trying  to  capture  a  castle  in  his  own  dominions,  where 
he  said  there  was  some  treasure  that  belonged  to  him, 
he  was  mortally  wounded  by  an  arrow.      The  castle 


3S 


THE    FIRST  TWO    PLAXTAGENETS. 


EFKUHKS   OF    HENRY   THE   SECOND   AND   (jLEEN    ELEANOR. 


1 192.] 


RICHARD   I. 


39 


of  France  that  he  had  to  submit  to  their  demands.  He 
asked  to  see  the  list  of  those  joined  against  him.  It 
was  headed  by  the  name  of  his  favorite  son,  John. 
The  old  king's  heart  was  broken.  ''  Now  let  things  go 
as  they  will,"  he  said;  ^^I  care  no  more  for  mysdf  or 
the  world. "     In  a  few  weeks  he  was  dead. 

But  John  did  not  at  once  become  king,  for  Richard, 
his  elder  brother,  was  in  the  way.     Richard  came  over 
to  London,  was  crowned,  and  then,  as  soon  as 
he  had  scraped  together  all  the  money  he  could,  Ui^g-"^^' 
set  out  with  his  friend  King  Philip  to  conquer  "'-^'^^' 
the  Holy  Land.      They  quarrelled  almost  as  soon  as 
they  reached  that  land,  and  Philip  returned  home  to 
seize  all  of  Richard's  French  possessions  that  he  could 
reach.      In    England,  too,  John    rose   to   the    head    of 
affairs,  although  Richard  had  left  a  friend  of  his  own 
to  govern  in  his  absence.     Richard  did  not  lay  siege  to 
Jerusalem,  but  set  off  on  his  return  to  England.      He 
was  wrecked  on  the  shores  of  the  Adrir.tic,  and  while 
trying  to  get  through  Austria  unseen,  was  arrested  by 
Duke  Leopold,    whom    he  had  insulted   in  the   Holy 
Land.     Duke  Leopold  handed  him  over  to  the  luii- 
peror,  who  kept  him  close  prisoner  until  the  luio-lish 
people  paid  a  large  ransom.     It  is  said  that  John  even 
tried  to  bribe  the  Emperor  to  keep  him  still  longer. 

At  any  rate,  when  he  got  back  to  P:ngland,  Richard 
did  not  punish  John  very  severely  for  his  disloyalty. 
As  soon  as  he  got  together  an  army,  however,  Richard's 
Richard  crossed  over  to  France  to  take  vengeance  ^''^^''• 
on  Philip  Augustus.  He  accomplished  little,  and  while 
trying  to  capture  a  castle  in  his  own  dominions,  where 
he  said  there  was  some  treasure  that  belonged  to  him, 
ht'  was  mortally  wounded  by  an  arrow.      The  eastle 


naUi^VM,. 


40 


THE   FIRST  TWO    PLANTAGENETS. 


[1199. 


1199.J        PHILIP   SEIZES   NORMANDY  AND  ANJOU.  41 


surrendered  before  he  died,  and  he  ordered  all  within 
it  to  be  hanged,  except  the  boy  who  had  shot  him. 
"What  have  I  done  that  you  should  take  my  life?" 
said  the  king.  "  You  have  killed  my  father  and  two 
brothers,"  was  the  reply.  King  Richard  commanded 
that  the  brave  boy  be  set  free;  but  after  the  king's 
death  he  was  hanged,  with  cruel  tortures. 

Richard  Coeur  de  Lion  was  in  England  for  but  eight 
months  during  his  whole  reign.  He  cared  nothing  for 
Misplace  England  or  for  Englishmen,  except  as  they  sup- 
land's^"  plied  him  with  money  to  carry  on  his  costly 
history,  ^^rs.  Nevertheless,  he  soon  came  to  be  looked 
upon  as  the  nation's  hero,  and  he  is  described  as  such 
in  Scott's  novel,  "Ivanhoe."  Traditions  gathered 
about  his  name  all  over  Europe,  and  it  is  said  that  for 
hundreds  of  years  the  tired  Arab  mothers  were  wont  to 
terrify  their  crying  babes  into  silence  with,  "  Hush  ye! 
here  comes  Kins:  Richard." 


"'^-".«,..-„i&-*^''"- 


A   SILVER    PENNY  OF  JOHN,   STRUCK   AT   DUBLIN. 


4 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

KING    JOHN    AND    MAGNA   CHARTA. 
II99-1216. 

RICHARD'S  younger  brother  John  was  crowned 
king  in  England.      But   in   France  there   were 
many   nobles    who    wished    to    have    John's    nephew, 
Prince  Arthur,  for  their  duke.      Philip  Augustus  took 
the  young   prince's  side.      John   captured   the    p^j^^^ 
boy,  and  ordered  Hubert  de  Burgh  to  put  out    ^'■*^"'■• 
his   eyes,      "p-or,"    thought   he,    "the    Normans    will 
never  want  a  blind  man  to  be  their  duke."     But  the 
poor  boy  begged  so  hard  that  Hubert  did  not  have  the 
heart  to  carry  out  his  orders.     There  was  no  mercy 
m  John,    however,    and   after    he   got    possession    of 
Prince  Arthur  the  boy  was  never  seen  again.      Men 
said  that  John  had  stabbed  him  to  death;    but  no  one 
really  knows  how  he  died. 

Now,  John,   as  Duke  of   Normandy  and   Count  of 
Anjou,  was  a  vassal  of  the  king  of  France.     So  Philip 
summoned  him  to  Paris  to  clear  himself  of  this  p^.,.  ^^ 
charge  of  murder.     John,  who  knew  better  than  F^nce 
to  trust  himself  within  Philip's  power,  refused  NoT 
to  appear,  and  so  Philip  seized  his  French  domin-  ^m'^^ 
ions.     Aquitaine  and  the  Channel  Islands  alone  ^"J°"- 
remained  to  the  English  Crown.     Aquitaine  has  long 
since    been    lost;    but    the    Channel    Islands  (Jersey, 
Guernsey,    Alderney,    and    Sark)  still   belong   to   the 


.    jF  '•r-s.^tfrn*   m.*r  is  J^HTnUTw  -•«.       .. 


40 


Jill.    Illol     i\\t>    I'LAN  I  .\<.i'.m:'I's. 


(II</> 


siirrciidcrud  before  lu-  died,  and  he  ordered  all  within 
it  to  be  han.L;ed,  exeept  the  boy  who  had  shot  him. 
''What  have  I  done  that  yoii  should  take  my  lite?" 
said  the  kin-'.  "  ^^)ll  have  killed  my  lalher  and  two 
brothers,"  was  the  reply.  KiiiL;  Riehard  commanded 
that  the  brave  boy  be  set  tree;  but  alter  the  king's 
death  he  was  han-i'd,  with  cruel  tortures. 

Richard  Cieur  de  Lion  was  in  I'ji-land  for  but  ei-ht 
months  durini;-  his  whole  rei-n.  lie  cared  nothing;  tor 
His  piacr  luiL;iand  or  for  I'ji-Iishmen,  e\cej)t  as  they  sup- 
!.m!rs'^  plied  him  with  money  to  carry  on  his  costly 
histiiry.  ^^-^,-^^  Nevertheless,  he  soon  came  to  be  looked 
upon  as  the  nation's  hero,  and  he  is  described  as  such 
in  Scott's  novel,  'Mvaidioe."  Traditions  Leathered 
about  his  name  all  o\er  ICurope,  and  it  is  said  that  lur 
hundreds  of  years  the  tired  .\vAh  mothers  were  wont  to 
terrify  their  cryini^  babes  into  silence  with,  "  Hush  ye! 
here  comes  Kinir  Richard." 


A    SII.VKR    I'KN.NV    nV   J«>IIN,    ^IKli   K    AT    DIHI.IX. 


1199)       I'liiiir  si:izi->   \«>kMAM.\    and  ANJUU, 


4' 


CIIAPTI-R  Vfl 


Kl\(.    J(»li\    AM)    MA<i\A    CIIAKTA. 


I  l()<)~\2\(). 


1^  KllARD'S   younger   brother   John   was  crowned 
V      kin-    in    bai-land.       Hut    in    l^ancc-    there    were 
many    nobles    who    wished     to    haxe    john\    nephew, 
rriiice  Arthur,  lor  their  duke.       Philip  Au-ustus  ti.ok 
the  youn-    |)rince's   side.        John    caiitured    the    ,.  ■ 
hoy,  and   ordered    l[ul)ert   de    I)Ur-h    to    put    out     ^"'""• 
Ids    eyes.      "|M)r,"    thou-ht    he,     "the     Xormans    will 
iiexerwant   a   blind  man   to  be   their  duke."      Ihit    the 
p<»(.i  l),)y  beg.i^ed  so  hard   that    Hubert  did  not  have  the 
heart   to  carry  out   his   orders.      'iliere    vvas    no   niercv 
ill    John,    however,    and    after    he    -ot     possession    (,f 
iVince  Arthur    the    boy    was   never  seen   aL;ain.       Men 
srnd   that  John   had   stabbed  him   to  death;    but  no  one 
'cally  knows   how   he  died. 

X<'w.   John,    as    Duke   of    Xormandy   and    Count    of 
Anjou,  was  a  vassal  of  the  kin-"  of  Im:uu\'.      .So  Philij) 
sunmioned  him  to  Paris  to  clear  himself  of  this 
char-e  of  murder.      John,  wh(>  knew  better  than   Fnu'a-'' 
t'>  trust    himself  within    Philip's   power,   refused   N.T 
Loai.pear,  and  so  Philip  seized  his  I^vnch  domin-  ".'.T'' 
>"ns.      Aciuitaine  and  the  Channel  Islands  alone  '"^"J^^"' 
lymained  to  the  Paiolish  Crown.      Acpiitaine  has   lon-- 
^jnce     been    lost;     but    the    Channel    Islands   (Jersey, 
''Uernsey.     Alderney,    and    Sark)  still    belon-    to    the 


42 


KING   JOHN   AND   MAGNA   CHARTA. 


[1213. 


English  sovereign,  —  the  only  remnant  of  the  Norman 
possessions  of  William  the  Conqueror.  In  this  way 
John  was  forced  to  become  a  real  English  king. 

His  next  quarrel  was  with  the  Pope.  It  was  about 
the  election  of  a  new  Archbishop  of  Canterbury.  The 
The  Pope  declared  that  an  Englishman,  Stephen 
interdict.  Laugtou  by  name,  was  the  duly  elected  arch- 
bishop. John  refused  to  recognize  him.  Then  the 
Pope  ordered  all  religious  services  to  cease  in  Eng- 
land. This  was  called  an  interdict.  If  we  remember 
that  the  Roman  Catholic  faith  was  then  the  only  re- 
ligion practised  in  England,  we  can  see  how  serious  a 
thing  this  interdict  was.  It  lasted  six  years,  and  for 
six  years  almost  no  one  was  married  with  regular  re- 
ligious services  in  all  England.  Still  John  did  not 
yield.  So  the  Pope  cast  him  out  of  the  Church,  or 
excommunicated  him.  And  as  this  did  not  bring  him 
to  terms,  the  Pope  deposed  him,  or  declared  him  to  be 
no  king  at  all,  and  ordered  Philip  Augustus  to  carry 
out  the  sentence. 

Now,  if  John  had  been  a  good  king,  he  might  perhaps 
have  been  strong  enough  at  home  to  care  very  little 
John  for  the  Pope  and  the  French  king  put  together, 
to^thi*^  But  unfortunately  he  was  a  very  bad  ruler,  and 
Pope,  all  i^is  people  hated  him.  So  he  soon  found 
that  his  barons  were  actually  conspiring  with  the 
French  Philip  against  him.  This  so  alarmed  him  that 
he  not  only  recognized  Langton  as  archbishop,  but 
he  put  himself  and  his  kingdom  under  the  protection 
of  the  Pope,  actually  agreeing  to  pay  rent  for  it. 

Philip  never  came  over,  but  John  kept  on  governing 
as  badly  as  ever.  The  barons  determined  to  stop  it. 
With  their  armed  followers  they  marched  to  London. 


1215.] 


THE   GREAT  CHARTER. 


43 


Nearly  every  one  deserted  John.     He  met  the  barons 
on  a  little  island  in  the  Thames  not  far  from  Windsor 
and  near  the  meadow  of  Runneymead.     There, 
on  the  15th  of  June,  1215,  he  signed  the  Magna   cS 
Charta,    or    Great    Charter,   which    his   barons   ^'^'^^' 
presented  to  him.     This  can  still  be   seen,   carefully 
preserved,  in  the  British  Museum,  and  it  is  the  most 
important  document  in  English  history. 

In  England  there  is  no  written  frame  of  government 
like  the  American  constitution.  The  English  govern- 
ment is  based  on  the  laws  and  customs  of  the  The  pro- 
kingdom,  and  especially  on  three  great  docu-  ''^^^°"^- 
ments,  -^this  Great  Charter  of  rights  of  the  thirteenth 
century,  and  the  Petition  of  Right  and  Bill  of  Rights 
of  the  Stuart  time.  These  documents  are  so  important 
that  Lord  Chatham  once  called  them  "The  Bible  of 
the  English  constitution."  The  Great  Charter  is  in 
reality  a  treaty  between  the  king  and  the  people  of 
England.  To  it  we,  in  common  with  English-speak- 
ing people  the  world  over,  owe  many  of  the  rights 
which  distinguish  us  from  all  other  nations. 

The  most  important  clause  of  this  Great  Charter  was 
that  relating  to  taxation.  Richard,  and  after  him 
John,  had  wrung  tax  after  tax  from  the  barons  and 
people.  The  barons  now  determined  to  put  an  end  to 
this.  It  was  provided,  therefore,  in  the  charter  that 
thenceforth  no  tax  (other  than  a  few  taxes  specified  in 
the  charter  itself)  should  be  laid  by  the  king  without 
the  consent  of  the  nation,  given  through  a  national 
council.  It  was  further  provided  that  all  the  greater 
barons  should  be  summoned  to  this  council  by  a  royal 
summons  directed  to  each  one  of  them,  while  the  lesser 
landholders  were  to  be  summoned  in  a  less  formal  way. 


"*    'r-.  'j'-t       .J- 


44  KING  JOHN   AND   MAGNA   CHARTA.  [1216. 

by  a  writ  directed  to  the  sheriff  of  their  shire.  This 
provision  never  went  into  actual  operation,  and  was 
omitted  from  the  later  issues  of  the  charter.  Yet  its 
importance  can  hardly  be  over-estimated.  It  was  the 
basis  for  the  summoning  of  Simon  of  Montfort's  Par- 
liament, and  of  the  first  regular  Parliament  in  the 
great  P^dward's  time. 

The  more  famous  sentences  of  the  Great  Charter  are 
the  following,  which  have  been  thus  translated  from 
the  original  Latin:  "No  free  man  shall  be  taken,  or 
imprisoned,  or  disseised  [dispossessed],  or  outlawed,  or 
exiled,  or  any  ways  destroyed.  Nor  will  we  go  upon 
him,  nor  send  upon  him,  unless  by  the  lawful  judgment 
of  his  peers  [equals],  or  by  the  law  of  the  land."  "To 
none  will  we  sell,  to  none  will  we  deny  or  delay  right 
or  justice."  It  is  on  these  sentences  that  the  right  to 
a  speedy  trial  by  jury  is  based,  "the  most  effectual 
security  against  oppression  which  the  wisdom  of  man 
has  hitherto  been  able  to  devise." 

Twenty-five  barons  were  chosen  to  see  that   King 

John  obeyed  the  Charter.      In  truth,  he  had  no  idea 

John's     of   doing   what   he   had    promised.      It  is   said 

death,      ^j^^t  ^Q  ^vas  so  angry  at  having  been  compelled 

to  sign   it   that  he  rolled  on  the  floor  in   rage,  and 

gnawed   a  stick.     The    Pope  soon  declared  that   the 

charter  had  no  force,  as  the  king  had  been  compelled 

to  sign  it;  and  John  hired  some  French   soldiers  to 

help  him  put  down  his  barons.     But  Stephen  Langton, 

the   archbishop,   took   their   side,    and   they   resolved 

to  have  a  new  king.     So  they  called  Prince  Louis  of 

France  to  be  their  ruler.     As  soon  as  he  appeared, 

John's  French  soldiers  refused  to  fight.     The  Scots  and 

Welsh  turned  against  their  king ;  and  there  is  every 


1216.] 


JOHN'S   DEATH. 


45 


reason  to  believe  that  he  would  have  been  the  last  of  his 
race  to  rule  in  England,  had  not  the  vexation  of  spirit 
at  his  losses  thrown  him  into  a  fever,  from  which  he 
died.  It  may  be  that  too  many  peaches  and  too  much 
ale  hastened  his  end,  and  there  is  a  story  that  he  was 
poisoned  by  a  monk.  In  whatever  manner  he  died,  the 
English  people  were  not  sorry  to  have  him  out  0/  the 
way. 


ROYAL  ARMS   OF   ENGLAND   FROM   RICHARD    L   TO    EDWARD    III. 


46 


HENRY   III. 


[1216. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


HENRY    III. 


1216-1272. 

A  FEW  barons  had  stood  by  John  to  the  end,  and 
one  of  them,  William  Marshall,  Earl  of  Pem- 
broke, proclaimed  John's  son  as  king,  under  the  title 
of  Henry  III.  As  the  new  king  was  only  nine  years 
old,  Pembroke  ruled  for  him.  The  first  thing  he  did 
was  to  re-issue  the  Great  Charter.  This  pleased  the 
barons,  and  they  deserted  the  French  prince  in  such 
numbers   that   he   was   glad   to   get   back   to   France 

alive. 

But  in  time  Henry  grew  up,  and  began  to  govern  as 
badly  as  his  father  had  ever  governed.  Above  all,  he 
made  the  barons  pay  a  great  deal  of  money  to  support 
his  foreign  wars.  The  barons  rebelled,  and  compelled 
Henry  to  place  the  government  of  England  in  their 
hands.  Then  they  quarrelled  among  themselves,  and 
as  Henry  had  the  Pope  on  his  side,  he  tried  to  get  his 
power  back  again. 

Even  in  those  old  days  young  men  came  from  all 
parts  of  England,  Scotland,  and  Wales  to  the  colleges 
at  Oxford  to  pursue  their  education.  They 
^''^'''^'  thought  on  political  subjects  very  much  as  their 
fathers  thought;  and  having  no  responsibility  in  the 
matter,  expressed  their  feelings  more  openly  than  did 
their  fathers.     In  fact,  their  fights   in  the  streets  of 


1265.] 


EARL   SIMON   OF   MONTFORT. 


47 


Oxford  so  often  showed 
the  position  which  their 
fathers  were  about  to 
take  that  it  became  a 
common  saying: 

''  When   Oxford    draws    the 
knife, 
England  's  soon  at  strife." 

They  now  showed  the 
approach  of  civil  war 
by  driving  the  Pope's 
legate,  or  lieutenant, 
out  of  Oxford. 

The  head  of  the  na- 
tional party  was  Simon 
of  Montfort.   He  Earl 
was   by   birth  a  ^^^^ 
Frenchman;  but  ^°^' 
he     had    inherited     an 
English    earldom,    and 
had  become  a  thorough 
Englishman.      He  col- 
lected   an     army,     and 
meeting    the    king    at 
I-ewes,    captured     him 
and   his  whole   family. 
He  then    summoned   a 
Great  Council,  to  which 
not  only  the  barons  and 
large  land -owners  were 
admitted,  but  also  rep- 
resentatives   from    the 


EFFIGY  OF  A  KNIGHT  IN  THE  TEMPLE 
CHURCH,  LONDON,  SHOWING  ARMOR 
WORN  BETWEEN   II90  AND  I225. 


.    JWlLi*.'te«AJi>.i     ^ni^ 


46 


ill,NK\     111 


ij  I  <  I 


ciiArri:K  x'lir. 


Ill  \KV     III. 


I  2I'>     I 


A 


l-"l'\\'    haion 


oIU'    <> 


t    t 


had   .stnnd   In   J"liri  in  ihr  rnd,  and 
lum.    William    Marshall,    I-'.arl    n|    iVni 


hrnkc.  prni  |;iinu-<l   J«>hns  son  as  l-.in.i; 


i>t    llrniv 


III.       As    tl 


u-   lUW 


o 


Id     |\Mnl>rc>kr  ruK-<l    tor   hiin. 


kin:;   was  only  nine   year- 
Vhr  hist    thin.u  lu'  <li< 


was  to  ri'-iSNUc 


the  (irral   Charter 


rhis  1 


ilea 


s<.'( 


I    tl 


ie 


harons, 

numbers 

alive. 


am 


1    thev   desertc-.l    the    iMViuh    jinnee    m    sueh 


thai    lie    was    .L;lad    to    -e 


t    haek    to    I -'ran 


ee 


Hut   in  time    I  lenrv  ,l;iv 


■w 


ui>.  and    he''an  to  -"\ern  as 


hadlv  as  his    tatluT  had  ever   -"VeriUM 


1.       Al 


)o\  r  :i 


11, 


?na< 


le   the  barons   pay  a  -ic-at  deal  of   monev  to  sup] 


he 


)Ol' 


hi^  toiei,L;n  wars, 
d 


ri 


le  baions  \\ 


bell 


ed,  ami  eonipi 


11 


e( 


I  lenrv    t(»   phiee   the   -.u'ernmen 


hand: 


I'hen 


tl 


iev  (juai 


t   ot'    l-ai-land    in    thrii 

1 


-relied   an^<»ni;   themselves,  an 


as 


1  lenrv  had  the   Tope  on  his  side,  he  tried  t< 


•t  hi 


nower 


baek 


am, 


1' 


,ven    in    those 


Id    (lavs    voun; 


I 


)arts  () 


men   eame   I  rom   all 
f   I'jvland,   Scotland,  and  Wales  to  the  eolle-es 


Oxf.'rd. 


at    Oxford     to    pursue   their    education 
thoui;ht  on  political  subjects  very  m 


uch  as 


They 
their 
til 


fathers  thou-ht  ;  an<l  havin.i:  no  responsibilit v  in  the 
matter,  expressed  their  feelin-s  more  «)penlv  than  did 
their  lathers.      In    fact,   their   ti-hts    in    the   streets  nt 


I,M<I.    slM<  »\    (  »|     M,  »\  I  |(  iKi 


t  )\lord  so  otlen  shi  )\\  ed 
r  !u'  |")o.sition  which  t  heir 


]('r.s     weiL'    ahoiit     to 


ike    thai     il 


i     I  (N 


l)ecame    a 


iiiiiion   >a\ m; 


\\  lull    i  )\i(>r(l     (Iraw.^    the- 
i  ii^I. 111(1  \s  >()(Hi  ,it  >n)it  .' 


iu\    now    shou(( 


tl 


le 


Ml  M«  h     •  M     ei\- 


il    u.ir 


h\      < 


hi\in-    the     \\)\ 


>e  s 


-al 


ol 


lieut 


eiianl 


It    o|    (  )\tord. 


In, 


n/ad    ot    th 


e    na 


'n;d    p.nty  was  .Simon 
\loiitfort.     II 


e     i;.al 


'u'    birth    a 


.SlIIIMtl 


lu  hinan  ;  but    '"'■^• 
!ia.(l     inherited 


f    ll-ll.sh 


earldom, 


in 


IK 


li.id   hecomr  a  thoroii-h 


livjisl 
leclrd 


iman. 
an 


Jh 

inn-. 


Coj- 


IK! 


"i^-«'tiii'^     the     ki 


n; 


at 


wcs.     captured      him 
'    his    wholr    familv. 


h-     tlu'll      sill 


nmoned    a 


''■^•;it  C'onncil,  to  whicli 
"1  "iilv  the  1 


land- 


i'ted,   but  al 


>arons  aiK 


"wni^'is    were 


cental  Ives     fr 


so    ic-p- 
<»ni     the 


I  I  I'.v  <  >i'  \  K\i<a?  r  I 


V    illK    I  IMII  I 


W<  >K\    I.I    I  W  I   I   N 


I  I'C'  AM  '    I  22 


•>• 


*  juJnJr*  fc^flfjrij^*! 


48 


HENRY    III. 


L1265 


1272.] 


ROGER  BACON. 


49 


great  towns,  or  boroughs.     For  some  time  the  Great 

Council  had  been  called  a  Parliament,  from  the  French 

word  parlcr,   ''to  speak,"   because  affairs  were 

Simon's   spokcn  about,  or  debated,    there.     This  Great 

I'arlia- 

ment  Couucil  was  therefore  called  Earl  Simon's  Par- 
^*^^^^*  liament.  It  was  really  the  beginning  of  the 
present  form  of  government  in  England. 

It  happened  one  day  that  as  the  king's  eldest  son. 
Prince  Edward,  was  out  riding,  he  escaped  from  his 
Eves-  jailers.  Gathering  an  army,  he  came  upon  Earl 
^^-  Simon  at  Evesham,  and  overthrew  him.  The 
great  earl  was  killed  during  the  battle,  but  his  work 
did  not  perish  with  him,  for  Prince  I^dward,  who  ruled 


SEAL  OF   ROBERT   FITZWALTER,    SHOWING   A    MOUNTED    KNIGHT    IN 
COMPLETE    MAIL   ARMOR.      DATE,  ABOUT    I265. 

for  his  father,  was  a  wise  man,  and  governed  well.     In 
fact,  so  quiet  did  the  barons  become  that  the  prince 


left  England  and  went  on  a  crusade.  Before  his  return 
King  Henry  died.  As  his  body  was  lying  in  West- 
minster Abbey,  Gilbert,  Earl  of  Gloucester,  placino- 
his  hand  on  the  dead  king,  swore  allegiance  to  King 
Edward  the  First,  and  the  king  was  proclaimed. 

It  was  in  the  Third  Henry's  time  that  Roger  Bacon, 
a  great  scholar  and  a  friar,   put  forth   many  famous 
books  (Opus  Majus),  applying  to  the  natural  sciences 
what  was  afterwards  called   the  inductive  method  of 
reasoning;  that  is,  reasoning  from  observation  and  ex- 
perience.    It  is  said  that  the  clergy  were  so  afraid  that 
the  new  ideas  would  destroy  their  hold  on  the  minds 
of  men  that  they  put  Bacon  into  prison.     It  was  in 
Henry's  time,  too,  that  the  old  Norman  way  of  build- 
ing with  round  arches  gave  place  to  the  lighter  style 
of  pointed   arches.      When,    in    its   turn,    this    latter 
mode  went  out  of  fashion,  men  called  it,  after  the  bar- 
barous Goths,  the  Gothic  style.     Salisbury  Cathedral 
is  one  of  the  most  splendid  examples  of  this  mode  of 
architecture. 


fc^^^^ga^oufi^^u^ 


4S 


III  \k\    111 


h-' 


k<M;i;i^   r.AC(  L\. 


49 


"Tcat    t<>\vn>.    t>i    IxM < >hl;1i> 


I 


( ii    SI  I 


mr   I  iinr   llu-  ( iiwil 


('••iiiuil  had  bmi  <  alK-(l  a   I'ai  1  i.miriil,  Ikmii  llu'   |-'irin  !i 


i:.iii 

r«iiii"ii' 
I'.nli.i- 

IIK-Ill 


\Vn|( 


Z'' 


V// 


/./- 


In    sj 


)i-a 


)«. 


raii^*.-   :illaiis    wnc 


.sjxtkiii  alxiul,  M|-  (k'baUd,  lluaw  Thi^  diral 
Cnmu-il  was  tluixlorc  t'alUd  l,ail  Siinoiis  I'ai- 
liainriil.        It    \va>    irall)    thr    l)rL;innin,i;   <'l    llu- 

[HL'sriU  h»iiii  n|  l;(i\ miim-iil   in   I"ai_L;lan(l. 

ll    happciiL'd  one   da)   ihal  as   ihr   kiiiL;'s   rldot    son, 

I'rinrr    I'aiward,    \va<   nut    ridiiiL;'.    In-   i"sca|K(l    Iroin    his 


.V<'S- 


jaiUi 


>.      (ialhrriiiL;  an  annv,  hr  raim-  upon 


liaiu. 


Siin<»n   a 


I    i:wsl 


lam.   and    owrthrrw    hnii. 


I'.arl 


l\ 


](' 


L;ivat   rail    was 


kilKd   (liiiinL:   the   ballK".   hiil    his  work 


lid  not  )»cri>h  with  him,  for  I'lincc-  I'alwaid,  who  rnU'd 


SKAL   or    Koni-Kr    KIT/W   \l   I  I  i:.    -IIi>\\I\t.     \     MolNIII-    KM«aH     IN 

roMi'i.irr.  m\ii     \um<'i;.     I'\ii.   \i;'»i  r  1265. 

for  liis  latlirr,  was  a  wisr  man.  and  L;()vcrnrd  wrll.      In 
tact,  so  cjuiLt   (lid   the  baions  bcc-omc  tliat    tlu-  piincf 


i\i 


It  lji_L;hind  and  went  on  a  ct  iisadc.       JklorL-  hi.s  irtuin 
n-    llrnrydicd.       As   his   body    was    Kin-    in    West 
ii>tcr   Abl)ey,    (iilbcit,    I'larl   ol    ( i  loiicesicr     nl 


hand  <»n  the   dead    kin: 


swoie  aJleLiianee 


plaein: 
to    I 


!  duard  the  b'irst,  and  the  kin; 


was  proclaimed. 


II 


t  was  in  the   Ihnd  Ilenrv  s  time  that  Rivxt  \ 


vill: 


xicon, 


i(  II I 


leat    scholai-   and   a    liiai-,    j)ut    lorth 

k-^   (^^///.v  JL////S),   appl\in-    to   the  natural 


ni;m\-   taniou 


s 


scienc  rs 


»'.  I 


i\e    meth 


,il    was  afterwards   called    the    induct 
.(sonin--;   that   is,  reasoniiiL;  Iroin  obsei  \at ion  and 


(Ml      O 


r\ 


(It  I  K'lice. 


It 


IS  said  that  th 


e  cler-v  were  so  alraid  that 


new  ideas  would   destroy   their   hold   un    the   mind 


s 


I  men   that    they   |)ut    I>a(M)n    into   jirison.      It 


i-nry  s   tnjie,  too,  thai   the  old  \ormai 


was    in 


1  wav  ol    l)uild 


I'l-  with    round   arches  ua\e  pi 
.1 


p'>  lilted    arches. 


W 


place  to  the    li- liter  st\|r 
^«^'>h    ill     its    turn,     this    latter 


nil  II 


le  wriit  out  of  lashion,  men  called  it,  alter  tlu-  I 


)ar 


h.i.Mi.  (ioths.  the  (iothic  style.  Salisbury  Cathedral 
1-  "lie  ol  the  most  .splendid  exam[,les  ol  this  mode  ol 
■  n\  liitecturi;. 


4 


MJi^i^»M£j^\:.Siii»e.^ 


\i^    \l&h  ^"^^  tCvT  JtiA^b 


teij)»AJiM.j.i»jft£i  ■"^■■^  '^ —  --•'''^■-'a.a&AiAtijm'JUUtiitaaSiti^ 


50 


THE   FIRST  TWO   EDWARDS. 


[1272. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

THE    FIRST    TWO    EDWARDS. 
I272-1327. 

AS  the  new  king  was  the  first  of  his  name  to  rule 
in  England  since  the  Norman  Conquest,  he  was 
called  Edward  the  First.     He  was  a  very  great  and 
wise  man,  and  did  many  important  things.     The  first 
was  the  conquest  of  Wales ;  and  this  was  how 
^'rg'^'it  happened.     The  Welsh  chieftains  had  been 
('"2!"  vassals  of   the  English  king  for  many  years. 
'^°7)-     But  Llewelyn,  who  was  prince  of  all  Wales  when 
Edward  became  king,  thought  that  it  would  be  a  good 
time  to  make  himself  an  independent  prince.     He  was 
betrothed  to  a  daughter  of  Earl  Simon,  and  it 
waTer  may  be  that  he  was  really  the  head  of  a  con- 
^'"^^^'    spiracy  to  dethrone  Edward.    Now  the  king,  who 
had  defeated  Simon  of  Montfort  at  Evesham,  was  no 
ordinary  soldier,   and   in  a  short  time  he  conquered 
Wales,  and  compelled  the  prince  to  submit.     A  few 
vears  later  Llewelyn  again  rebelled.     He  himself  was 
killed  in  a  chance  encounter,  but  his  brother,  the  real 
leader    was  captured  and   executed.     From  that  day 
p.;,,eof  Edward  governed  Wales  as  if  it  were  a  part  of 
wli'es.     England.     To  please  the  Welsh,  he  made  his 
eldest  son  Prince  of  Wales,  and  the  title  has  been  borne 
by  the  eldest  son  of  the  king  of  England  ever  since. 
There  is  a  story  that  Edward  promised  to  give  them 
a  native   prince,   who   could   not   speak   one  word  of 


1284.J 


THE   WELSH   BARDS. 


SI 


English,  and  that  he  then  showed  them  the  young 
Edward,  who  had  just  been  born  in  the  Welsh  castle 
of  Caernarvon.  But  it  is  not  certain  that  this  is  really 
true.  Another  story  is  that  Edward,  seeing  the  The 
Welsh  bards,  or  minstrels,  kept  alive  the  spirit  ^^^^^s- 
of  liberty,  ordered  them  all  to  be  killed.  No  historian 
now  believes  this,  but  it  forms  the  basis  of  a  poem 
called  "The  Bard,"  by  the  poet  Gray. 

It  so  happened  that  at  this  time  there  were  many 
claimants  to  the  crown  of  Scotland.      They  referred 
their  claims  to  Edward,  who  decided  that  John 
Balliol    ought    to   be   king.       Balliol    and   his   a^fd"' 
rival,  Robert  Bruce,   were  of  Norman   descent    ^'■"'^* 
on  their  father's    side.     They  inherited   their  claims 

SUCCESSION   TO  THE   SCOTTISH   THRONE   IN   1290. 

David  I.,  tn^i. 

I 
Henry. 

_  I 


r 


1 


Malcolm  IV.,  f  1165.      William  the  Lion,  1 1214.        David,  t  1219. 

I  J 

Alexander  H.,  1 1249.            Margaret  Isabella.       Ada  m. 

»z.  Allan  of  »«.  Bruce  of    Hastings. 

Galloway.  Annandale. 

I  I 

Alexander  III.,  f  1285.          |                 j  | 

Devorgild      Marjory.  Robert        Henry 

.    T^u~  r>_ii:_i  n  w,      .t 


m.  John  Balliol. 


Bruce.         Hastings. 


Alexander,  t  1283.     | 

Eric  m.  Margaret  John  Balliol,  Marjory  m.  Comyn     Bruce,       John  Has- 
ofNorway^l  t  1283.         f  1295.  I  the      Earl  of  Ca^rick.   tings. 

I  (I  Black.  I 

trothed''  tV^on  ^of                                     i'^^^  f^^  ^^"^^ 
Edward  I.    On  her  ^, ' 

oeath  line  extinct.  ,^    X  ^  I 

David,  1 1370.      Marjory  m.  W.  Stuart. 

Robert  II. 


^^ummmmmm^£^ 


52 


THE  FIRST  TWO   EDWARDS. 


[1298. 


I295-J 


THE  FIRST  PERFECT   PARLIAMENT. 


53 


to  the  Scottish  throne  through  their  mothers.  Balliol 
agreed  to  hold  his  kingdom  as  a  gift  from  the  Eng- 
lish king.  But  this  made  him  and  his  son  unpopu- 
lar in  Scotland,  and  so,  after  his  father's  death,  the 
younger  Balliol  made  an  alliance  with  the  French 
king.''    He  soon  found  himself  a  prisoner  in  London 

Tower.  . 

Edward  now  determined  to  govern  Scotland  as  if  it 
were  his  own  kingdom.  To  show  his  right  to  that 
stone  of  throne,  he  carried  to  London  the  Stone  of 
Scone."  Scone,  on  which  the  Scottish  kings  had  been 
crowned.  There  he  had  a  chair  built  around  it,  and 
upon  it  every  king  of  England  has  been  crowned  from 

that  day  to  this. 

Now,  the  Scots  did  not  at  all  like  losing  their  inde- 
pendence.    As  soon  as  Edward  got  into  trouble  with 
France,  they  rebelled.      Their    leader   was   an 
William   outlawed  knight  called   Sir  William  Wallace. 
Wallace.  ^^  ^^^  ^^  ^^^y  ^^^^^  ^^  ^^g  English  who  came 

in  his  way  that  the  great  Scottish  writer,  Sir  Walter 
Scott,  wrote  of  him,  "  He  left  nothing  behind  but  blood 
and  ashes  "  in  his  path  along  the  English  border.  His 
success  was  but  short-lived,  for  the  very  next  year 
Falkirk  Edward  went  to  Scotland  with  an  army.  He 
(1298).  found  Wallace  and  his  followers  at  Falkirk, 
and  utterly  destroyed  them.  Wallace  himself  was 
taken  to  London,  and  killed  with  all  the  dreadful 
cruelties  that  the  law  then  visited  on  outlaws.  This 
was  in  1305 ;  and,  although  Wallace  had  been  so  cruel, 
he  soon  became  the  national  hero  of  Scotland. 

But  troubles  did  not  cease  in  Scotland;  for  the 
Bruce  very  next  year  Robert  Bruce,  the  grandson  of 
ComyT   Balliol's  rival,  met  Comyn,  who  was  after  Balliol 


the  next  heir  to  the  Scottish  crown,  in  a  little  church 
in  Dumfries,  and  stabbed  him  to  the  heart.  Bruce 
then  declared  himself  the  true  king  of  Scotland.  King 
Edward  was  greatly  enraged  at  this  foul  murder.  His 
soldiers  hunted  Bruce  from  place  to  place,  but  they 
could  not  seize  him;  and  while  journeying  north 
to  take  command  of  his  army,  Edward  died,  ^^r'"^ 
within  sight  of  the  Scottish  border.  ^*^°^^' 

These  wars,  however,  were  the  least  important  events 
of  Edward's  reign.      The  most  important  thing  was 
that  it  took  a  great  deal  of  money  to  carry  them   The 
on;    and   this  money  the   king  could  not    o-et    ^^'l 

.  ,  .  .  ^  perfect 

Without  agreeing  to  certain  laws  which  have  in-    ^^'""^- 
fluenced  the  history  ot  England  ever  since.      It   O295). 
was  in  1295,  just  before  the  invasion  of  Scotland,  that 
Edward  held  his  first  parliament.     As  he  needed  the 
support  of  all  his  subjects,  he  took  Simon  of  Montfort's 
Parliament  for  a  model.     The  assembly  of  1295  was  the 
first  legal  Parliament  in  which  the  people  of  England 
were  really  represented,  and  therefore  the  great  his- 
torian of  the  English  people,  John  Richard  Green,  has 
called  Its  assembling  "the  most    important   event  in 
English  history."     Let  us  stop  a  moment  and  see  who 
came  to  it. 

In  the  first  place,  there  were  the  great  barons  and 
churchmen.  They  were  the  king's  greater  feudal 
vassals,  and  came  in  person.  There  were  too  us  com- 
niany  smaller  landowners  to  admit  of  their  p°''^'°"- 
coming  in  person,  so  the  sheriff  of  each  county  held 
an  election  for  two  knights  to  represent  all  the  land- 
owners of  that  county.  They  were  called  knights  of 
tne  shire.  Next  came  two  citizens  from  each  city 
and   two   burghers,    or   burgesses,    from   each    burgh' 


i^-B.  ■^«j«w.-naj'-'.aA-.-Av>t-  f  jMte.:-»'»;.'as>  j.jt.-^^  ,'awMai»iaog-KwaeB*3wa«'fa»»'g'fi"j>;  ■i-.'^-— ..■uJiiMdfe.h^adH^ 


54 


THE   FIRST  TWO   EDWARDS. 


[1297. 


borough,  or  large  town.     These  last  two  classes  repre- 
sented the  merchants  and  mechanics  of  the  cities  and 

boroughs. 

But  the  greatest  law  of  all  was  the  Confirmation  of 
the  Charters,  which  Roger  Bigod,  Earl  of  Norfolk, 
^    ,      and  Humphrey  Bohun,    Earl  of  Hereford,    ex- 

Connr-  *^         -'  i  -r^  i  j 

mation  tortcd  from  the  king.  It  seems  that  Edward 
Charters  was  afraid  of  the  power  of  these  two  men,  and 
^'^^^^*  he  ordered  them  to  lead  an  army  into  southern 
France.  They  refused.  In  a  rage  the  king  exclaimed 
to  Bigod,  "Sir  Earl,  you  shall  either  go  or  hang!" 
"Sir  King,"  the  Earl  Marshal  replied,  "I  will  neither 
go  nor  hang."  The  king  then  laid  a  tax  upon  wool, 
and  sailed  for  Flanders.  The  two  earls  forbade  the 
collection  of  the  tax.  The  Londoners,  and  even  the 
churchmen,  joined  them.  The  king  was  helpless.  At 
Ghent  he  confirmed  the  charters,  with  the  additional 
promise  that  he  would  not  lay  a  tax  without  the  com- 
mon consent  of  the  nation. 

Edward  of  Caernarvon,  known  as  Edward  II.,  was 
the  first  Prince  of  Wales  to  become  king  of  England. 
Edward  He  was  also  the  first  king  to  date  his  reign 
{J-^7_  from  the  day  of  his  father's  death.  This  may 
1327).  seem  to  be  a  very  small  thing  in  itself,  but  it 
showed  that  the  old  custom  of  waiting  to  elect  a  new 
king  was  being  forgotten.  Yet  even  at  the  present 
time  the  form  of  election  is  kept  up  at  the  coronation. 
The  new  Edward  was  very  unlike  his  father.  For  one 
thing,  he  was  too  fond  of  foreigners.  Especially  was 
this  "true  of  a  certain  Piers,  or  Pierce,  Gaveston,  who 
had  a  very  bad  influence  upon  him.  P'or  one  thing, 
Gaveston  was  all  the  time  making  fun  of  the  barons, 
and  calling  them  nicknames;  and  this  trick  led  at  last 


1327J 


THE  DESPENSERS. 


55 


to  his  death.     Headed  by  the  Earl  of  Lancaster,  the 
king's  uncle,  the  barons  captured  Gaveston  and 'exe- 
cuted him.      The  execution,  however,  was  due  Gaveston 
mainly  to  the  Earl  of  Warwick,  whom  Gaveston  ^^"^^"^ 
had  called  "The  Black  Dog."  ^''"^' 

While  all  this  was  going  on  in  England,  Bruce  was 
not  idle  in  Scotland.      On  the  contrary,  he  overran  the 
greater  part  of  that  country.      In   13 14  Edward  grucein 
marched  to  the  relief  of  Stirling  Castle.      He  Scothnd. 
had  with  him  nearly  one  hundred  thousand  men ;  but 
Bruce,  with  scarcely  thirty  thousand,  met  him  on  the 
banks  of  a  little    brook,   or   burn,   the   Bannockburn 
not  far  from  Stirling  Castle,  and  defeated  him 
utterly.      It  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  burT''" 
Edward  escaped,  and  from  this  time  Scotland  ^'^'^^• 
was  lost  to  the  English. 

The  Irish,  too,  thought  that  this  would  be  a  good 
time  to  assert  their  independence.      But  the  Norman- 
English  nobles  living  in  Ireland  were  too  strono-   ,p, 
for  their  wild  Irish  neighbors,  and  the  rebellion    i-'^- 
ended    in    nothing   but    increased    suffering    for   the 
conquered   Irish.  ^ 

wou  d  have  been  a  warning  to  the  king.      But  it  was 
not  long  before  he  had  more  favorites.     This  th   n 
ime  they  were  named  Despenser,  or  Spenser   ^p'-- 
father  and    son       The    barons   again    rebelled.      But 

hanged.       It    happened    that   the   queen,    who    was   a 

tZlZTT^^  cared  more  for  an  earl  named  Mortimer 

han  she  did  for  the  king.      So  she  hired  some  soldiers 

in  France,  and  brought  them  over  to  England      The 


56 


THE  FIRST  TWO  EDWARDS. 


[1327. 


king  and  his  favorite  tried  to  run  away,  but  they 
^,,  ,.     fell  into  the  barons'   hands.     The  Despensers 

1  he  king  ,        r  1      •  i  i 

mur-  were  hanged,  and  Edward,  after  being  deposed 
(1^327).  by  Parliament,  was  cruelly  beaten  to  death,  at 
the  order,  it  is  supposed,  of  Mortimer. 


1327] 


HALIDON  HILL. 


57 


CHAPTER   X. 


EDWARD    in. 


GROUP   OF   ARMED   KNIGHTS,    ABOUT    I3OO. 


I327-I377. 

T^ING  Edward  the  Third  was  only  fourteen  years 
IV  old  at  this  time,  and  a  council  of  regency  was 
appointed  to  rule  in  his  name.  But  Mortimer  and  the 
queen  really  possessed  all  the  power,  and  they  used 
it  very  ill.  Suddenly,  in  1330,  the  young  king 
arrested  Mortimer,  and  took  the  control  of  af-  mef " 
fairs  into  his  own  hands.  Not  long  after,  ''^"^^'^• 
Mortimer  was  hanged,  and  the  queen  was  kept  a 
close  prisoner  for  the  rest  of  her  life. 

Of  course  during  these  disturbances  the  Scots  had 
not  been  idle.     They  had  actually  invaded   England 
and  had  returned  to  Scotland  only  when  Bruce    Haiidol 
was  acknowledged  as  the  rightful  king  of  Scot-    ""^- """ 
land  by  the  English  Government.     But  the  peace  thus 
bought  did   not  last  long,   and  in    1333   the    Scottish 
army  was  totally  overthrown  at  the  battle  of  Halidon 
Hill.     Nothing  was  really  decided  by  this  battle,  for 
the  Scots  were  far  from  being  subdued.     But  the  vic- 
tory put  new  heart  into  Englishmen,  and  gave  them 
more  confidence  in  themselves.     And  they  were  soon 
to  need  all  the  confidence  such  a  victory  could  inspire 

Durmg  all  this  time  the  English  had  retained  pos- 
session of  a  few  domains  in  southwestern  France,  and 
this  had  been  a  constant  source  of  dispute  between 


58 


EDWARD   III. 


1328.] 


CAUSE  OF  THE  WARS   WITH   FRANCE. 


59 


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the  kings  of  England  and  France.  It  seemed  to  the 
French  king  at  this  time  that  he  might  compel  Edward 
to  do  what  he  wished  by  interfering  in  Scotland,  cause  of 
Edward,  of  course,  resented  this,  and  Philip  of  ^j^j^^^*^^ 
France  seized  some  of  the  English  possessions  France, 
in  France.  To  make  his  cause  seem  more  just,  Edward 
laid  claim  to  the  French  throne  in  right  of  his  mother. 
There  was  a  law  in  France,  called  the  Salic  law,  which 
prevented  a  woman  from  either  ruling  herself  or  trans- 
mitting any  rights  to  the  crown  to  her  descendants. 
Now,  the  descent  of  the  French  crown  was  regulated 
by  French  law,  and  Edward's  claim  was  very  weak 
in  other  ways.  Edward  probably  never  regarded  it  as 
good  for  much ;  but  he  thought  that  Frenchmen,  being 
discontented  with  the  ruling  king,  would  be  more 
likely  to  fight  on  his  side  if  he  called  himself  king  of 
France,  and  in  this  he  was  right.  The  motto  which 
he  adopted  at  this  time,  —  "  Dieu  et  mon  droit,"  —  is 
still  retained,  though  the  title  of  king  of  France  was 
dropped  nearly  a  hundred  years  ago  by  the  English 
kings. 

At  first  it  was  very  hard  to  get  money  to  pay  the 
soldiers;  but  after  a  while,  as  one  victory  after  another 

SUCCESSION  TO  THE   FRENCH   CROWN,   1328. 
[The  dates  are  those  of  the  kings'  deaths.] 
Philip  III.,  1270. 


Philip  IV.,  1285. 


Charles  of  Valois. 


n 


Louis  X.,    Philip  V.,    Charles  IV.,    Isal 


aoella  m. 


1314. 

Joan  of 
Navarre. 


1316. 


Edward  II.  of      Philip  VI., 


1322. 


England. 


1328. 


Edward  HI.  of 
England. 


'^S 


Igf^B^ 


y^SSs^Ufl;^ 


6o 


EDWARD   III. 


[1340. 


A  WALLED   TOWN. 


61 


was  won,  the  war  became  self-supporting.  The  first 
great  success  was  on  the  water.  In  the  year  1340, 
^    ^  ,    Edward    and    his    Eno^lish    sailors   defeated   a 

Sea-fight  .  ° 

at  siuys  French  fleet  in  the  harbor  of  Sluys.  So  great 
'*°  *  was  the  slaughter  that  no  one  seemed  willing  to 
tell  King  Philip  of  France  of  the  disaster.  Finally, 
the  court  jester,  or  fool,  cried  out :  "  What  cowards 
those  English  are!  They  had  not  the  courage  all  to 
jump  overboard,  as  the  French  did."  This  victory 
broke  the  naval  power  of  France,  and  for  a  whole 
generation  the  English  could  sail  up  and  down  the 
Channel  without  fear  of  attack. 

For  five  years  there  was  no  serious  fighting;  but  in 
1345  the  war  began  again.  The  English  in  southern 
France  were  soon  hard  pressed.  Edward  thought  he 
could  best  relieve  them  by  invading  Normandy.  So 
he  landed  with  an  army  at  La  Hogue,  and  attempted 
to  march  across  the  country  to  Flanders.  The  bridges 
over  the  Seine  were  broken,  and  it  was  some  time 
before  he  could  get  across.  Finally,  however,  he  out- 
witted the  French,  and  crossed  the  river  not  far  from 
Paris.  Then,  passing  the  Somme,  near  its  mouth,  when 
Cressy  ^^^  ^^^^  ^^^^  low,  he  drcw  up  his  men  on  the  hill 
(1346).  Qf  Cressy,  or  Crecy.  The  French  army  was  sev- 
eral times  larger  than  that  of  the  English;  but  Edward 
had  with  him  only  trained  soldiers,  whose  sole  busi- 
ness was  to  fight,  while  Philip's  force,  on  the  contrary, 
was  a  feudal  army  of  the  old  pattern,  being  composed 
of  knights  and  gentlemen,  clad  in  suits  of  heavy  iron 
armor,  and  a  mass  of  poorly  armed  and  entirely  un- 
trained peasants.  It  was  a  mob  rather  than  an  army. 
When  the  two  armies  came  together,  the  English  bow- 
men shot  their  arrows  so  accurately  and  well  that  the 


2; 

o 

H 
Q 
»-) 
< 

H 

a 

H 

O 

(14 


O 

t— I 
> 

< 

Pi 
O 
P^ 

a 

H 
O 

u 


6o 


EDWARD    III. 


[»:)40- 


A    WAI.LKD    TOWN. 


6i 


was  won,  the  war  became  self-supporting.  The  first 
great  success  was  on  the  water.  In  the  year  1340, 
^     ^  ,    Jul  ward    and     his     luiL;lish    sailors    defeated    a 

St'a-fii^lit 

at  siuyh  J^'rench  Heet  in  the  harbor  of  Sluys.  So  urcat 
'^  '  was  the  slauirhter  that  no  one  seemed  willing  to 
tell  Kini;  Thilip  of  France  of  the  disaster,  r'inally, 
the  court  jester,  or  fool,  cried  out:  "What  cowards 
those  I'higlish  are!  They  had  not  the  courage  all  to 
jumj)  overboard,  as  the  1^'rench  did."  71iis  victory 
broke  the  naval  [)o\ver  of  I^'rance,  and  for  a  whole 
generation  the  luiglish  could  sail  up  and  down  the 
Channel   without   fear  of  attack. 

Vor  five  years  there  was  no  serious  fighting;  but  in 
1345  the  war  began  again.  The  JMiglish  in  southern 
b^ ranee  were  soon  hard  pressed.  Fdwanl  thought  he 
could  best  relieve  them  l^y  invading  Normandy.  So 
he  landed  with  an  army  at  La  llogue,  antl  attemj^tetl 
to  march  across  the  country  to  I^'lanclers.  The  bridges 
over  the  Seine  were  broken,  and  it  was  some  time 
before  he  could  get  across.  J^'inally,  however,  he  out- 
witted the  h'rench,  antl  crossed  the  river  not  far  from 
I'aris.  Then,  passing  the  Somme,  near  its  mouth,  when 
Crcssv  ^^^*-'  t'^^*-'  ^^'^^  ]i^\\',  he  drew  uj)  his  men  on  the  hill 
('34'')-  of  Cressv,  or  Crecy.  The  1^'rench  army  was  sev- 
eral times  larger  than  that  of  the  Mnglish;  but  lulward 
had  with  him  only  trained  soldiers,  whose  sole  busi- 
ness was  to  fight,  while  Philip's  force,  on  the  contrary, 
was  a  feudal  armv  of  the  old  pattern,  being  composed 
of  knights  and  gentlemen,  clad  in  suits  of  heavy  iron 
armor,  and  a  mass  of  poorly  armed  and  entirely  un 
trained  peasants.  Tt  was  a  mob  rather  than  an  arm\. 
When  the  two  armies  came  together,  the  l^nglish  bow- 
men shot   their  arrows  so  accurately  and  well   that   the 


i5 


-3 


y. 

w 

O 


Pi 
< 

O 

a. 

y. 


I   ..*    -  ri^.tf-'^ibllflUMh  irtl 


62 


EDWARD  III. 


1 1 346. 


French  knights  and  cross-bowmen  were  thrown  into 
utter  disorder;  and  to  add  to  the  confusion  some  can- 
non, then  used  perhaps  for  the  first  time  in  European 
wars,  so  frightened  the  French  horses  that  there  was 
no  controlling  them.  When  the  sun  went  down, 
Edward  was  master  of  the  field,  and  soon  after  marched 
in  peace  to  Calais,  and  began  the  siege  of  that  town. 

While  the  king  was  thus  occupied  in   France,   the 
Scots  were  doing  their  best  to  annoy  him  in  England. 
But  the  men  of  the  northern  counties,  inspired  by  the 
brave  words  of  Queen  Philippa,  turned  back   this  in- 
vasion, and  left  Edward  free  to  carry  on  the  French 
war.       The    siege    of    Calais  lasted  a  whole    year, 
sie  e  of  At  last,  however,  when  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Calais.     ^Q^n  had  eaten  everything  that  could  be  eaten 
in  the  town,  they  were  obliged  to  surrender.     Six  of 
the  principal  citizens,  with  halters  around  their  necks, 
marched  into  the  English  camp.     Edward,  when  they 
came  before  him,  called  for  the  executioner.     But  it 
is  said  he  winked  at  the  same  moment  at  one  of  his 
courtiers.     At  all  events,  the  men  of  Calais  were  not 
killed,  though  the  common  people  were  driven  from 
their  city  homes,  which  were  given  to  English  emi- 
grants, and  for  two  hundred  years  Calais  continued  a 
flourishing  English  town. 

The  next  few  years  were  years  of  peace,  due  in  part 
to  a  truce  between  the  two  kings,  but  more  especially 
The  to  a  fearful  disease  called  the  Black  Death, 
dS  ^hich  appeared  in  England  in  1349.  It  is  sup- 
(IM9)-  posed  that  from  one-third  to  one-half  of  the  pop- 
ulation was  swept  away.  In  some  parts  of  the  island 
whole  districts  were  left  without  people.  One  half  of 
the  priests   of  Yorkshire  died  at  this  time,  and  the 


1376] 


PEACE  OF  BRETIGNY. 


^l 


Archbishops  of  Canterbury  and  York  were  killed  by 
this  scourge.  A  similar  disease  attacked  the  cattle- 
and  this,  with  the  scarcity  of  farm  laborers,  threatened 
a  famine.     At  such  a  time  war  was  hardly  possible. 

Indeed,  it  was  not  until  1355  that  the  war  was  begun 
again  in  earnest.  The  next  year  Edward's  eldest  son, 
the  Black  Prince,  as  people  called  him,  from  the  yox\:x^xs 
color  of  the  armor  which  he  had  worn  at  Cressy,  ('356). 
marched  into  the  heart  of  southern  France.  At  length 
the  French  closed  in  upon  him;  but  he  posted  his  men 
with  such  skill  among  the  vineyards  of  Poitiers  that 
the  French  were  beaten  off  with  terrible  slaughter. 
Even  King  John  of  France  was  captured  and  taken  to 
London,  where  he  found  King  David  of  Scotland,  who 
had  been  captured  years  before  at  Nevil's  Cross. 

The  war  dragged  on  a  few  years  longer,  but  in  1360 
a  treaty  was  made  at  Bretigny.  By  this  treaty  Edward 
was  to  keep  the  southern  provinces  as  an  inde- 
pendent king.  On  his  part  he  was  to  give  up  BrTt'gny 
his  claim  to  the  French  throne,  and  to  release  ^'^^°^* 
King  John  on  payment  of  a  large  ransom.  Now,  it  is 
often  much  easier  to  make  a  treaty  than  to  carry  out 
its  provisions,  and  so  it  proved  in  this  case.  Edward 
never  gave  up  his  title  of  King  of  France,  and  many 
of  the  barons  in  southern  France  refused  to  become 
his  subjects.  So  the  war  broke  out  again,  and  dragged 
on  for  many  years.  In  the  end  the  English  lost  nearly 
all  their  French  conquests,  owing  mainly  to  the  cruelty 
and  bad  policy  of  the  Black  Prince.  He  never  lived 
to  be  king,  as  he  died  in  1376,  one  year  before  his 
father's  death. 

We  must  now  turn  to  England  itself,  and  see  what 
had  been  accomplished  during  all  these  years  in  the 


64 


EDWARD    III. 


[»333 


TOMB   OF   EDWARD   III.    IN   WESTMINSTER   ABBEY. 

way  of  better  government.  Arbitrary  as  Edward  was, 
he  had  been  led  into  many  reforms  by  the  necessity 
of  raising  large  sums  of  money,  and  of  securing  and 
keeping   the    good-will  of  the  English  aristocracy  and 


1333.]   PARLIAMENT  SEPARATES   INTO  TWO  HOUSES.     65 

the  wealthier   classes.      For   this   reason  we  find  the 
l)ovver  of   Parliament    increase   step  by  step.      About 
1333  the  knights  of  the  shire  (as  the  representatives  of 
the  lesser  landowners  were  called)  and  the  burgesses 
(as  those  who  were   elected  by  the   people  of 
the  towns  and  boroughs  were  termed)  separated  '"ent 
themselves   from  the  great  lords  and   bishops,  iX two' 
and  sat  apart  as  the  House  of  Commons ;    the  ^""'^''' 
others  forming  the  upper  house,   or  House  of  Peers. 
This  division  into  two  houses  without  any  sharp  divid- 
ing line  between  them,  and  with  two  classes  of  men 
sitting  in  each  house,  is  of  great  importance  in  PInglish 
history.     In  the  first  place  the  king  was  never  able  to 
play  off  one  class  against  another,  as  would  have  been 
easy  if  the  four  orders  had  sat  each  by  itself,  or  if  they 
had  all  sat  and  voted  together.      In  the  next  place,  as 
time  went  on,  it  became  common  for  the  members  of 
the  great  baronial  families  to  sit  in  the  lower  house 
side  by  side  with  the  representatives  of  the  merchants 
of  the  towns.     In  this  way  they  became  accustomed  to 
the  ideas  of  the  middle  class,  and  never  formed  such 
an  exclusive  caste  as  the  nobles  did  in  the  countries  of 
the  Continent. 

Now,  at  this  time  the  popes  did  not  live  at  Rome, 
for  since  the  early  part  of  the  century  they  had  resided 
at  Avignon,  in  southern  France.  The  Pope  thus  came 
completely  under  the  control  of  the  French  king,  and 
was  therefore  regarded  with  suspicion  and  dislike  by 
the  English  people,  as  being  a  kind  of  P>enchman,  and 
therefore  their  enemy.  So  strong  did  this  feeling 
become  that  Parliament  passed  two  laws,  forbidding 
any  one  taking  a  church  office  from  the  Pope,  and  from 
bringing  suits   in   his   court.     This  latter  was  called 

5 


64 


KDWAKI)    111 


jjj 


TOMi;    OF    IDUNKI)    III.    IN    WKSl  M I NS  IKK    AP.HtY 


\va\'  of  better  L;uvcninicnt.     Arbitran-  as  Edward  was. 
he   h.icl  been   led  into  main'   reforms   b\'   the    necessity 


of  raising: 


lar 


<je   Slims   of  m<^ne\ 


IllK 


1  of 


secnrincr   anc 


keeping    the    giKjd-will   of  the   Mnghsh  aristocracy  and 


.,?jj.]    PARLIAMENT   SEPARATES    INTO   TWO   IIUL'SES.      6: 


the  wealthier   classes.      Vor   this    re 


ason  we  t\m\  th 


e 


)u\W 


V  of    Tarlia 


m 


ent    increase    step  by  step.       About 


I  ;;;;3  the  kni-hts  of  the  shire  (as  th 


e  representatives  of 


the  lesser  landowners  were  called)  and  the  buri^esse: 
(as  those    who   were    elected  by   the    ])eople   o'. 


Par] 


1  111  I  ailia- 

tlie  tt)wns  and  boroUL;ns  were  termed)  sejjarated  "'^'^^ 


^t•J)alatt'^ 


themselves    from    the  -reat   lords   and    bishops,  into  i 
and   sat  apart  as  the  House   of  Commons-    th 


loasi-^. 


() 


11 


Ihers  forming-  the  upper  house,  or  House  of  Peers. 
us  division  into  two  houses  without  any  sharp  divid- 
ing- line  between  them,  and  with  two  classes  of  men 
silting  in  each  house,  is  of  great  importance  in  l':n<'-lish 
history,      in  the  hrst   i)lace  the  king  was  never  able  t 


pla\  off  one  class  against   another,  as 


wou 


Id  hi 


o 


ive  been 


easy  if  the  four  orders  had  sat  each  by  itself,  or  if  they 


h<i(l  all  sat  and  voted  together.      In  th 


c  next   place,  as 


tune  went  on,  it  became  common  for  the   members  of 
llie  great   baronial  families  to  sit   in  the   lower  house 

e  merchants 


ol 


ide  by  side  with  the   representatives  of  th 
the  towns.      In  this  way  they  became  accustomed  to 

llie  i<leas  of  the  middle  class,  and   never  formed  such 

an  exdusive  caste  as  the  nobles  did  in  th 

the  Continent. 

\<'W,  at  this  time  the  popes  did   not   live  at  Rome, 

'<'!•  since  the  early  part  of  the  century  thev  had  resided 


e  countries  of 


It  AvigiKui,  in  southern  JM-anc 


^rhe  1 


o 


""iipletelv  under  th 


j)e  th 


us  came 


e  control  of  the   1^'rench   kinj-,  and 


w 


IS  therefore   regarded  with   siisj:)ici 


."->' 


tile  fjiglish  j)eoj)le,  as  1 


on   and  dislike  by 


ll 


x'lng  a  kind  of  1^'renchma 


n,  and 


leielore    their 


enemy.       So    strong  did    this   feeli 


n; 


i^eeonie 


that    Parliament    passed    two   laws,   forbidd 


in: 


\j 


"v  one  taking  a  church  (<ffice  from  the  P 


'Jii;:;uig   suits   in    hi 


ope,  and  from 
s    court.      This   latter  was   called 


MrHaeauT  .Mlb-ilRiti-llt^.lfif  f 


66 


EDWARD   III. 


[1333- 


the  Statute  of  Prsemunire,  from  words  in  the  writ  by 
which  it  was  enforced.  The  penalty  for  disobey- 
ofTrl'  ing  this  statute,  or  law,  was  forfeiture  of  prop- 
"'"'"'^'  erty  and  imprisonment  during  the  pleasure  of 
the  king.  Another  thing  which  showed  the  growing 
dislike  "to  the  Pope  was  the  rise  of  the  people  called 

Lollards. 

Exactly  what  "Lollard"  means  is  not  clear;  but  it 
probably  signified  an  idle  babbler.      These   Lollards 
The       thought  that  the  bishops  and  the  clergy  gener- 
LoUards.  ^^y  lived  too  casy  and  luxurious  lives,  and  gave 
too  little  attention  to  their  real  work,  which  should  be 
the  care  of  men's  souls  and  deeds  of  charity.      The 
John       leader  and  the  founder  of  this  sect  was  John 
Wyciiffe.  Wycliffe,  ouc  of  the  great  scholars  and  teachers 
of  his  time.     Wycliffe  gathered  around  him  a  band  of 
earnest  men,  who  went  through  the  country  preaching 
to  the  poor,  and  by  their  example  teaching  men  to  live 
upright  and  pure    lives.     Before  this  time  the    Bible 
was  only  to  be  found  in  Latin  or  some  other  learned 
lano-uage.     Copies  of  it  were  quite  rare,  and  only  the 
upp^'er  clergy  could  read  it.     Wycliffe  thought  that  the 
Bible  should  be  the  common  property  of  all  English- 
men, and  he  translated  the  New  Testament  into  simple 
English.     Of  course  it  was  still  a  rare  book,  as  print- 
ino-  had  not  then  been  introduced  into  England. 

The  dreadful  Black  Death,  too,  had  caused  great 
discontent,  and  had  some  serious  consequences.  The 
kincr  had  allowed  the  great  barons  to  pay  him  a  sum  of 
money  instead  of  doing  the  personal  service  which  the 
feudal  system  required,  and  in  the  same  way  the  land- 
owners had  allowed  their  serfs,  or  villeins,  to  pay  a 
small  sum  of  money  instead  of  performing  the  personal 


^37^-1 


COPYHOLD  TENURE. 


67 


service  (such  as  two  or  three  days'  work  every  week 
on  the  lord's  farm)  which  their  obligations  required. 
The  conditions  of  this  money  payment  were  written 
down  on  the  records  of  the  estate,  a  copy  being  given 
to  the  serf.     Thus  he  became  a  "copyholder,"  and  his 
holding,   or  farm,    became  a  "copyhold;"  and   ^^ 
this  form  of  tenure  went  by  the  name  of  "copy-   hold 
hold  tenure."     Now,  the  Black  Death,  by  kill- 
ing so  many  laborers,   made  it  very  difficult  for  the 
lord  to  hire  men  to  do  his  work.      And  so  he  tried  to 
make  his  serfs  perform  their  work  in  person,  as  they 
formerly  had    done,    instead   of  paying    money.      Of 
course  this  caused  great  opposition.     The  Parliament, 
too,  as  it  was  mainly  in  the  hands  of  the  land-own- 
ers, tried  to  keep  wages  down  by  passing  a  law  called 
the    Statute  of  Laborers.      This  law  forbade   statute  of 
laborers  to   receive   higher   wages   than   they   Laborers, 
had  earned  before  the  Black  Death.      As  the  prices  of 
bread   and  all  the  necessaries  of  life  had  risen,  this 
resulted  in  great  hardships,  the  outcome  of  which  we 
shall  soon  see. 


68 


RICHARD   II. 


[1377. 


CHAPTER   XI. 


RICHARD    II. 


1377-1387- 


THE  Black  Prince's  son  Richard,  a  lad  of  eleven 
years,  succeeded  to  his  grandfather's  throne,  the 
government  being  carried  on  by  some  one  else,  called 
a  regent.  It  was  a  bad  time  for  such  an  experiment. 
The  for  on  every  side  there  was  discontent.  There 
Kevdf  ^'  ^^^^  large  debts  remaining  from  Edward's  time, 
(1381).  and  these  were  soon  increased  by  the  expense 
of  stopping  a  threatened  French  invasion.  Parliament 
tried  to  raise  money  in  various  ways.  Finally,  it  hit 
upon  a  scheme  called  a  poll-tax.  It  was  called  a  poll- 
tax  because  it  was  a  tax  of  so  much  per  head,  or  poll. 
A  poll-tax  is  not  bad  in  itself,  but  it  was  arranged  at 
that  time  so  as  to  fall  most  heavily  on  the  poorer 
classes.  It  could  not  be  collected.  Finally,  a  man 
was  found  who  promised  to  collect  it  if  the  judges 
should  be  ordered  to  help  him.  This  was  done,  and 
collectors  went  through  the  country  compelling  people 
to  pay,  under  the  most  fearful  threats  in  case  they  re- 
fused. At  last  one  of  these  collectors  insulted  a 
daughter  of  a  Kentish  blacksmith  named  Walter,  and 
called  from  his  trade  Wat  the  Tyler,  or  simply  Wat 
Tyler.  Before  the  collector  could  escape,  Wat  the 
Tyler  dashed  his  brains  out  with  his  hammer;  and  then, 


1 


1381.] 


THE   PEASANTS'   REVOLT. 


69 


putting  himself  at  the  head  of  the  peasants  of  Kent, 
marched  towards  London.  Men  flocked  to  his  standard 
from  all  sides.  Among  the  rest  there  was  a  priest  who 
called  himself  Jack  Straw,  and  who  led  the  men  of 


PLOUGHING. 

Essex.       Then,  too,  another  priest,  named  John  Ball, 
went  with  them,  preaching  from  the  text,  — 

"  When  Adam  delved,  and  Eve  span, 
Who  was  then  the  gentleman  ?  " 

Sixty  thousand  strong,  they  reached    London,  killed 
the  archbishop  and  all  the  lawyers  they  could  find,  and 


HARROWING.      A   BOY  SLINGING  STONES. 

burned  the  houses  of  those  whom  they  hated.       At 
last  Wat  the  Tyler  was  himself  killed ;  and,  deprived 


^o 


RICHARD  11. 


[1387. 


of  their  leader,  the  rebels  dispersed.  While  he  was 
in  their  power  the  king  had  made  great  promises 
to  these  people,  all  of  which  he  now  broke.  And 
the  Parliament,  too,  passed  laws  tending  to  keep 
the  lower  classes  forever  in  the  condition  of  serfs; 
but  they  were  never  carried  out,  as  no  one  feared 
another  peasant  revolt  more  than  did  these  same 
landowners.     Indeed,  it  is  from  this  time  that  the  rise 


REAPING. 


of  the  class  of  independent  farmers  called  "yeomen" 
dates. 

The  remainder  of  Richard's  reign  was  taken  up  with 

disputes   between   his   favorites   and  the  nobles  who 

were  out  of  power.      In   1387  the  parliamentary 

A.bdic<i* 

tion  of  party,  led  by  Richard's  uncle,  the  Duke  of  Glou- 
*^  "  *  cester,  gained  the  upper  hand,  and  turned  the 
favorites  out,  even  executing  many  of  them.  But 
before  long  the  king  again  got  control.  For  a  time 
he  governed  well ;  but  as  soon  as  he  felt  himself  strong 
enough,  he  revenged  himself  on  his  enemies.  The 
Duke  of  Gloucester  disappeared,  and  every  one  thought 
he  was  murdered,  though  it  is  now  believed  that  he 
died  from  natural  causes.  Soon  after  this  the  Duke 
of  Hereford,    Henry  of  Bolingbroke,  son  of  John  of 


\ 


1387.] 


ABDICATION   OF   RICHARD. 


71 


Gaunt,  Duke  of  Lancaster,  was  exiled  to  France  on  a 
most  frivolous  charge.     John  of  Gaunt  felt  his  son's 
disgrace  very  keenly,   and   presently  died.     Richard, 
in  defiance  of  a  solemn  promise,   seized  his  estates. 
The  king  then  went  to  Ireland  to  try  to  restore  the 
waning  fortunes  of  the  English  in  that  island.     This 
was   the    young    Duke    of    Lancaster's    opportunity. 
Crossing  over  to   England,   he  was  everywhere  most 
gladly  received  by  the  people.     Richard,  returning  in 
haste  from  Ireland,  was  captured  and  forced  to  abdi- 
cate.    Years  before,  he  had  been  warned  that  the  time 
might  come  when  the  English  people  would  rise  and 
depose  him,  and  Parliament  now  did  this  very  thing, 
on  the  ground  of  misgovernment.      Then    Henry  of 
Lancaster,  rising  in  his  place  in  the  House  of  Lords, 


Edward  I. 

I 

Edward  II. 
Edward  III. 


THE   LATER   PLANTAGENETS. 

Henry  III. 
I 


Edmund, 
Earl  of  Lancaster. 

I 

Henry, 

Earl  of  Lancaster. 

I 
Henry, 

Duke  of  Lancaster. 


"1 


Edward  Lionel,  John  of  Gaunt,  w.  Blanche, 

The  Black  Pnnce.  Duke  of  Clarence.  Duke  of  Lancaster,     Duchess  of  Lancaster. 


Richard  IL, 

1 1400,  S.  P. 


r 


Philippa  m.  Earl  of  March.  Henry  Bolingbroke, 

I       ,  Earl  of  Hereford,  Duke  of  Lan- 

Koger,  Earl  of  March,  caster,  King  Henry  IV. 
t 1398. 

1 


Edmund,  Anne, 

Earl  of  March,       ancestress  of  the 
t  1424-  Yorkist  kings. 


j 


70 


RICHARD   II. 


[>3S7- 


1 .587.] 


AHDICATIOxX    OF   RICHARD. 


of  their  leader,  the  rebels  dispersed.  While  he  was 
in  their  power  the  king  had  made  great  promises 
to  these  people,  all  of  which  he  now  broke.  And 
the  Parliament,  too,  passed  laws  tending  to  keep 
the  lower  classes  forever  in  the  condition  of  serfs; 
but  they  were  never  carried  out,  as  no  one  feared 
another  peasant  revolt  more  than  did  these  same 
landowners.      Indeed,  it  is  from  this  time  that  the  rise 


REAPING. 


of  the  class  of  independent  farmers  called  "yeomen 
dates. 

The  remainder  of  Richard's  reign  was  taken  up  with 
disputes  between  his  favorites  and  the  nobles  who 
were  out  of  power.  In  1387  the  parliamentary 
tion  of  party,  led  by  Richard's  uncle,  the  Duke  of  Glou- 
cester, gained  the  upper  hand,  and  turned  the 
favorites  out,  even  executing  many  of  them.  But 
before  long  the  king  again  got  control.  For  a  time 
he  governed  well ;  but  as  soon  as  he  felt  himself  strong 
enough,  he  revenged  himself  on  his  enemies.  The 
Duke  of  Gloucester  disappeared,  and  every  one  thought 
he  was  murdered,  though  it  is  now  believed  that  he 
died  from  natural  causes.  Soon  after  this  the  Duke 
of  Hereford,    Henry  of  Bolingbroke,   son  of  John   of 


71 


Gaunt,  Duke  of  Lancaster,  was  exiled  to  France  on  a 
most  frivolous  charge.     John  of  Gaunt  felt  his  son's 
disgrace  very  keenly,   and    presently  died.      Richard, 
in  defiance  of  a  solemn  promise,   seized  his  estates. 
The   king  then  went  to  Ireland  to  try  to  restore  the 
waning  fortunes  of  the  English  in  that  island.     This 
was    the    young    Duke    of    Lancaster's    opportunity. 
Crossing  over  to   England,    he   was  everywhere  most 
gladly  received  by  the  people.     Richard,  returning  in 
haste  from  Ireland,  was  captured  and  forced  to  abdi- 
cate.    Years  before,  he  had  been  warned  that  the  time 
might  come  when  the  English  people  would  rise  and 
depose  him,  and  Parliament  now  did  this  very  thing, 
on  the  ground  of  misgovernment.      Then    Henry  of 
Lancaster,  rising  in  his  place  in  the  House  of  Lords, 


r 


THE   LATER    PLAXTAGENKTS. 

Henry  III. 
I 


Edward  I. 

I 

Edward  II. 
Edward  III. 

I 


I 
Edmund, 
Earl  of  Lancaster. 

I 
Henry, 

Earl  of  Lancaster. 

I 
Henry, 

Duke  of  Lancaster. 


'vI^^Z^^^  T,  •  X.  ,    ^^i""^''  Jo*^"  "f  ^'^""t» "'-  Blanche, 

The  Black  Prince.  Duke  of  Clarence.  Duke  of  Lancaster,  I  Duchess  of  Lancaster. 


Richard  II., 

t  1400,  S.  P. 


Philippa  w.  Earl  of  March.    Henry  Bolincrbrokc, 

^  I       ,  Earl  of  Hereford,  Diike  of  Lan- 

Koger,  Earl  of  March,        caster,  King  Henry  \\\ 
t 1398. 

I 1 

Edmund,  Anne. 

Earl  of  March,       ancestress  of  the 
t  «424-  Yorkist  kings. 


7^ 


RICHARD    II. 


[1387. 


claimed  the  crown  as  the  descendant  of  Henry  III.  It 
was  said  that  his  ancestor  was  the  elder  brother  of  the 
first  Edward,  and  had  been  passed  over  on  account  of 
his  humpback.  Probably  this  was  not  true.  At  all 
events,  Henry  was  elected  king  by  Parliament,  and 
took  the  title  of  Henry  IV. 


A  GOLD   NOBLE  OF   EDWARD    III.,   STRUCK    BETWEEN    I360   AND    I369. 


1300.]     ENGLAND   IN  THE   FOURTEENTH   CENTURY.         73 


CHAPTER   XII. 


ENGLAND  IN  THE  FOURTEENTH  CENTURY. 


IN  many  ways  the  fourteenth  century  marked  an 
epoch  in  the  history  of  the  English  people.  Let 
us  stop  a  moment  and  see  why  this  is  so.  In  the  first 
place,  the  fact  that  Richard  was  deposed  proved  to  be 
of  the  very  greatest  importance.  It  was  then  estab- 
lished that  the  nation  might  depose  the  king  if  it 
wished.  Years  after,  when  this  question  again  came 
up,  in  the  time  of  James  II.,  statesmen,  turning  back 
to  find  a  precedent,  relied  on  this  one.  In  the  next 
place,  the  English  common  people  were  every  day 
acquiring  more  power  and  influence  in  the  state.  We 
have  seen  how  the  Commons  began  to  sit  by  them- 
selves, and  we  have  seen  how,  in  the  rise  of  copy- 
holders, the  serfs  began  to  free  themselves  from  their 
servile  obligations.  Then,  too,  although  the  last  part 
of  this  period  was  a  time  of  almost  constant  war,  it 
was  also  a  time  of  great  extension  of  trade.  This  was 
due  in  a  great  measure  to  the  fact  that  the  king  could 
no  longer  seize  the  property  of  the  merchants  to  pay 
his  expenses,  but  was  obliged  to  get  their  consent  to 
taxes  through  their  representatives  in  the  House  of 
Commons. 

It  must  not  be  supposed,  however,  that  men's  ideas 
on  commerce  were  in  those  days  like  our  own.  At 
that  time  men  saw,  as  some  think  they  see  to-day,  that 


i.rfjr 


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It  .11 


Ml'     1 


74         ENGLAND   IN   THE   FOURTEENTH   CENTURY.     [1300. 

as  gold  and  silver  could  be  exchanged  for  anything, 
they  formed  a  nation's  whole  wealth.  Going  one  step 
Financial  ^^rther,  they  bcHeved  that  a  country  would  be 
^^^^^'  rich  according  to  the  amount  of  gold  and  silver 
actually  within  its  borders.  The  more  gold  and  silver 
England  could  draw  from  France  and  other  countries, 
the  richer  she  would  be.  The  way  to  accomplish  this 
was  to  sell  as  much  wool,  leather,  and  tin  to  foreigners, 
and  buy  as  little  from  them,  as  possible;  the  balance 
being  paid  in  gold  and  silver.  But  we  now  know  that 
gold  and  silver  are  only  commodities,  like  wool  and 
leather,  and  that  a  nation  cannot  become  richer  by 
piling  up  within  its  borders  more  of  any  one  thing 
than  it  can  use. 

Now,  these  wars  of  Edward  the  Third  introduced 
England  to  the  outside  world,  and  gave  Englishmen 
^,  ^      an  idea  of  the  comforts  and  fashions  of  foreign 

Clothes.  ^ 

lands.  The  effects  were  soon  seen.  Instead  of 
the  coarse,  rough  English  cloth  they  formerly  wore, 
men  now  began  to  wear  colored  clothes.  The  hose, 
which  used  to  reach  from  the  waist  to  the  foot,  were 
now  divided  at  the  knee,  and  the  upper  portion  came 
to  be  called  small-clothes.  The  most  ridiculous  things 
were  the  new-fashioned  shoes,  which  sometimes  were 
three  feet  long.  Then,  too,  rugs  and  carpets  began  to 
take  the  place  of  rushes  on  the  floors  of  the  wealthier 
classes,  and  furniture,  which  up  to  that  time  had  been 
very  poor  and  scarce,  began  to  be  more  plentiful  and 
of  much  better  quality. 

All  these  new  fashions  gave  rise  to  an  extended 
commerce,  which  the  king  encouraged  as  well  as  he 
Com-  could.  But  he  saw  with  alarm  the  wool  of 
mercc.     England  exchanged  for  fine  clothes  and  carpets 


1300.] 


THE  GUILDS. 


75 


rather  than  for  gold,  and  many  attempts  were  made  to 
regulate  this  foreign  trade.     It  was  determined,  in  the 
first  place,  that  certain  towns  should  be  designated  as 
"staple  towns,"  from  the  German  word  stape/,  because 
in  them  a  fair,  or  market,   was  kept  open  the  whole 
year.     Only  in  these  places  could  wool,  leather,  lead, 
and  tin  be  sold.     At  one  time  the  laws  were  so  strict 
that  only  a  portion  of  the  price  of  English  goods  could 
be  exchanged  for  foreign  goods,  the  remainder  being 
paid  for  in  gold    and  silver.     At  that  time  England 
was  almost  the  only  country  where  wool  and  tin  were 
produced  in  large  quantities.     And  as   long  as  these 
laws  could  be  carried  out,  gold  and  silver  flowed  into 
England.     Gold  was  then  very  scarce,  and  silver  was 
the  principal  medium  of   exchange.     This  silver  was 
coined  into  money  at  the  rate  of  two  hundred  and  forty 
pennies  to  each  pound  of  silver  by  weight.     Thus  we 
see  the  origin  of  the   name  "pound,"    which   is  still 
used  in  England  as  the  standard  of   value,   though  a 
pound  of  silver  would  purchase  much  more  wool  and 
leather  then  than  it  will  now. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  any  one  could  go  to 
a  town  where  a  fair  was  kept,  and  buy  and  sell  for 
himself;  far  from  it.  Rights  to  trade  and  to  The 
manufacture  were  then  granted  to  certain  per-  ^"^^'^^• 
sons  or  sets  of  persons,  either  for  money  or  as  favors. 
Sometimes  the  merchants  of  one  town  would  combine 
into  one  trade-society,  or  guild;  but  more  often  there 
were  several  guilds  in  each  town,  as  of  leather-dressers, 
tailors,  silversmiths,  etc.  Each  of  these  guilds  gov- 
erned itself,  and  took  full  charge  of  all  goods  made  by 
its  members,  oftentimes  putting  its  mark,  or  stamp,  on 
the  goods  as  a  proof  of  their  purity  and  goodness.      The 


I 


m  11*1.! 


76 


ENGLAND  IN  THE  FOURTEENTH  CENTURY.  [1300. 


'399] 


RISE   OF  THE  COMMONERS. 


17 


guilds  of  each  town  often  had  a  share  in  its  govern- 
ment, and  the  guildhall  often  answers  very  well  to  our 
town-hall.     At  this  time,  however,  the  beginning  of 
the  end  of  the  guild  system 
could   be   seen.     This  was 
due   to   the    rise  of   a   free 
laboring  class,  who  worked 
by   the    day.      They    were 
hence  called  "journeymen, 
from  the  French  v^ovdjonr^ 
or  joHrn^Cy   a    day.     These 
and    other    labor- 
ers flocked  to   the 
towns  in  great  num- 
bers,   largely  because  of 
the  privileges  enjoyed  by 
those    living    in    towns; 
and  their   presence    in   the 
end  gave  a  severe  blow  to 
the  exclusive  system  of  the 
guilds. 

This  century  also  marks 
the  rise  of  the  English  lan- 
guage as  we  now  know  it. 

This  was  the  time  of  Geoffrey  Chaucer,  the  first  great 
Rise  English  poet,  and  of  Wycliffe,  who  may  be  re- 
EngHsh  garded  as  the  father  of  English  prose.  English 
language,  ^^g  ^jg^  wscd  in  the  courts,  and  took  the  place 
of  French  as  the  language  of  the  upper  classes. 


PORTRAIT  OF  GEOFFREY  CHAUCER. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

THE    FIRST   TWO    LANCASTRIAN    KINGS. 

IVTEXT  to  Richard,  the  rightful  heir  to  the  throne 
^  ^     was  Edmund  Mortimer,  Earl  of  March,  since  he 
was  descended  from  the   second   son  of  Edward  III. 
Henry  was  really  a  usurper,  and  ruled  merely  as  being 
the  king  elected  by  Parliament.     He  was  thus    Henry 
obliged   to  keep  on   good    terms   with    Parlia-   ]y. 
ment,  and  also  with   the   Church.      To   please   '413)- 
the    Church    he  assented  to  an  Act   against    heresy. 
Under  this  law  a  man  once  declared  to  be  a  heretic 
by  the  Church  was  handed  over  to  the  civil  govern- 
ment for  execution.     This  was  commonly  by  fire;  and 
the  first  Englishman  burned  as  a  heretic  was  William 
Sawtre. 

Henry  was  obliged  to  consent  to  the  demands  of 
Parliament.     In  this  way  the  Commons  obliged  him  to 
have  the  money  voted  by  them  accounted  for.   ^. 
The  Commons  also  obtained  the  right  to  origi-  the  com- 

n    1  •  111.  moners. 

nate  all  laws  granting  money,  and  the  king  was 
even  forced  to  allow  perfect  freedom  of  debate  in  both 
Houses  of  Parliament.      Henry  made  these  concessions 
in  order  to  secure  the  support  of  the  people  in  main- 
taining himself  on  the  throne. 

In  1399  there  was  a  sudden  rebellibn  of  the  great 
lords  friendly  to  the  Earl  of  March.  But  as  the  king, 
with  a  force  of   Londoners,   was  driving  them  to  the 


.1 

4 ) 


76 


K\(;[.\\I)    1\    rin:    FnL'KrKKNTII    (KMl  KV.      [\yrjo. 


miilds  of  r:ich   town   oltcn   had  a  share   in    its  £:o\crn- 
DK'iit,  and  the  _L;uihlhall  otten  answers  very  well  to  ^^\\y 
town-hall.      At   this  time,    however,    the  be^i^inniiiL;  ot 
the  enrl  ot  the  Lruild  system 
con  Id    be    seen.      'I'his   was 
due    to    the    rise  ot    a    Iree 
laborinir  elass,  who  worked 
bv    the     (lav.        Thev    were 
hence  called  "  jonrneynien," 
Iroin  the   l^'rench  word  /(>/t/\ 
or    jiUinu'Cy    a    day.       Idiese 
and     other     labor- 
ers  (locked   to    the      "''^S^^ 
t<»\\iis   in   L;reat    nnni-       ^ 
bers,    lar_L;el\'    because    ot 
the  privileges  enjoved  by 
those     livini;'     in     towns; 
a\m\   their    presence    in    the 
end   ,i;ave  a   severe   blow   to 
the  exclusive  svsteni  ot   the 
;;uilds. 

This  centnrv  also  marks 
the  rise  of  the  baiL;lish  Ian- 
,i;ua,i;e   as  we   ntnv   ktiow  it. 

This  was  the  time  of  (ieoffrev  Chaucer,  the  tirst  irreat 
Rise  I^n-lish  jKU't,  ami  of  \Vycliffc\  who  may  be  re- 
Kn^ii.h  ^^^trded  as  the  lather  of  baii^lish  prose.  ]^n,<;]ish 
i.insuac;c.  y^y,^^  ,^]^,^  ^j^^^,^|  |j^  ||.|^,  courts,  and  took  the  place 

of  J-'rench  as  the  lan,i,^uaj;e  of  the  upper  classes. 


Fn)KI  K  Ml    <»l    r.FojrRF.V  '  H  ArCKK. 


'399] 


RISE  (ji    int  cum.m<jm-:ks. 


/  / 


cii.\rTb:R  xiii 


Till':    riRST     1\\()    l.AXC.VSi  KIAN    KL\(iS. 


IVri'lX  r  to    Richard,  the   ri-litfu.l   heir  to  the  throiie 
-^  ^      was  Mdmund  Mortimer,   luirl  of  March,  since  he 
was  descended    trom   the    second    son    of    lulward    \\\. 
Henry  was  really  a  usurper,  and  ruled  merely  as  bein- 
the   kin-    elected   by   railiament.      lie  was  thus    ii,.n,y 
obliged    to    keei)   on    "jood    terms    with     Tarlia-    ]^ ' 
ment,    and  also    with    the    Church.      To    please    '4';'- 
the    Chui"ch    he   assented    to    an    .\ct    against    heresv. 
Under  this   law  a   man   once  declared   to   be  a  heretic 
by   the   (lunch    was   handed   ovei'  to   the  civil    L;o\ern- 
ment   tor  execution.      This  was  commonlv  1)V  tire;  and 
the   tirst    I'Ji^iishman  l)iMned  as  a  heretic  wa^  William 
Sawtre. 

Henry  was  obliged  to  consent  to  the  demands  of 
Parliament.  In  this  wav  the  Commons  oblii^ed  him  to 
ha\e  the   monev    \'oted    bv  them   accounted    b)i-.    ... 

Kl-M-    III 

1  lu'  Conniions  also  obtained   the    ri^ht    to  orii^i     thr  c<.iii- 

111  •  111-  IUc.IKM^. 

nate  all    laws  ^lantiui;  monew  and  the  kini;'  was 
e\en  torced  to  allow   [xitect  treedom  ot    debate  in  both 
Houses  ot   Tarliament.       llenr\   made  these  concessions 
in  ordei   to  secure   the   suppoit  ot  the   peoj)le  in   main 
tainini;  himself  on  the  throne. 

In  1 3(>)  there  was  a  sudden  rebellion  of  the  L;reat 
lords  friendly  to  the  I']ai1  of  March.  lUit  as  the  kini;-, 
with    a   torce   ot    Londoners,    was    drixiui'    them  to  the 


78 


THE   FIRST  TWO   LANCASTRIAN  KINGS. 


[1413- 


1415.] 


ATTACK  ON   FRANCE. 


79 


West,  the  people  of  Cirencester,  led  by  their  mayor, 

surrounded  and  captured  them,  and  executed  several 

before  the  king  arrived.     The  same  year  wit- 
Rebel- 
lion        nessed  Richard's  death;  though  whether  he  was 

(1399)-  murdered  or  not,  no  one  really  knows.  In  time, 
however,  events  turned  in  Henry's  favor,  and  by  1400 
he  was  secure  on  his  throne. 

Henry's  last  years  were  not  happy.  A  dreadful 
disease  tormented  him,  and  it  seemed  as  though  his 
eldest  son,  the  Prince  of  Wales,  wished  to  be  king 
before  his  time.  At  least  that  is  the  story;  and  the 
old  king  was  so  jealous  of  his  son  that  he  had  him 
removed  from  the  council.      In  141 3  Henry  IV.  died. 

One  of  the  greatest  evils  of  this  time  was  what  was 
called  the  ** right  of  maintenance."  The  great  lords 
Mainte-  ^^^c  accustomcd  to  have  in  their  service  large 
nance,  bodics  of  men,  often  old  soldiers,  who  attended 
them  when  they  went  to  Parliament,  into  court,  and 
on  other  occasions.  These  men  wore  the  liveries,  or 
badges,  of  their  masters,  and  were  always  armed  and 
ready  to  fight.  It  thus  happened  that  the  great  earls 
and  dukes  had  small  regular  armies  always  at  call,  and 
it  was  this  force  of  retainers  that  formed  the  founda- 
tion of  the  armies  which  fought  in  the  Wars  of  the 

Roses. 

The  new  king  came  to  the  throne  so  quietly  that  it 
seemed  hardly  possible  he  was  the  son  of  a  usurper. 
Henry  He  had  led  a  wild  life  in  his  youth,  which  is  de- 
^; ,  scribed  in  Shakespeare's  play  of  **  Henry  IV.  ;  " 
<422).  but  when  he  ascended  the  throne  he  became 
serious  and  patriotic.  There  was  great  discontent 
under  the  surface.  The  religious  reformers  called 
Lollards    especially  were  so  active   that    Henry  may 


have  thought  this  the  be- 
ginning of  another  Wat 
Tyler's  rebellion.  At  any 
rate,  he  took  sides  with 
the  churchmen  against  the 
Lollards,  and  forty  of  the 
reformers  were  burned  at 
the  stake  as  heretics. 

For  the  moment  the  ef- 
fort after  reform  seemed 
to  be  suppressed.  Still, 
it  might  break  out  again 
at  any  time,  and  Henry 
resolved  to  divert  Eng- 
lishmen's minds  Attack  on 
from     their     own    France. 

wants  and  grievances  by 
the  conquest  of  France, — 
as  if  causing  distress  to 
any  one  nation  would  make 
another  happier.  Apart 
from  this  motive,  which, 
after  all,  may  not  have 
been  the  true  one,  it  was 
a  good  time  to  invade 
P'rance.  The  French  king 
was  insane,  and  his  eldest 
son,  called  the  Dauphin, 
who  ruled  during  his 
father's  madness,  quar- 
relled with  the  king's 
brother,  the  Duke  of  Bur- 
gundy.     Now,    this    Duke   effigy  of  a  knight  at  CLEHONGER, 

r   -D  1  ^1  SHOWING  DEVELOPMENT  OF  PLATE- 

ot  Burgundy  was  the  most     armor,    date,  about  1460. 


i 


78 


rili:    MkST   T\\«.»    l.ANCASI  klA.N    KL\(;S. 


[14 


Wrst,  tlu-   propK-   «>t    CirriK-oUT,   led    by  ihcir   nia_\>»i, 
smri>iin(k'd   ami   caplurrd    llu-iii,    and    executed    Ne\eral 


Krlnil 

lioh 


he  I 


<»i\' 


ll 


le 


It): 


arn\e( 


11 


u-    same 


veai    uil- 


iK>>e( 


1  Richard's  death;   thoiiL;h  whether  lie  was 


mini 


lered 


or  lint.  IK)  oiu'  i\-a 


llv  k 


m>w>. 


In  t 


line, 


however,  event>  turned  in    lieiirv'^  hivor,  and   by    1400 


le  was  ^ecu 


11 


enr\   > 


re  on  his  throne. 


la>t 


wars    wne 


no 


t     1 


laj.) 


>v 


disease  tornieii 


ted    1 


nm, 


aiK 


1    it 


.seeniei 


Ad 
a>   tliou: 


reat 


Itul 


h   1 


us 


■Itle.st    >on.    the     riiiicc-   nl    W'al 


i-s. 


w 


i>hed    to    be    kin: 


bet 


ore 


ii> 


t  nm 


•\t    least   that   is  tin.-  sioiv;   and   the 


o 


hi  ki 


n: 


was   XI    leaious   o 


J 


ll    1 


n>    >o 


11    that    he   had    him 


1  t 


rrnioxrd  iiom  tlie  counci 


til 


1.       In   141  >  11 


em  V 


W 


(iiee 


OiK-  ol    the  ureatest  e\il>  ot    this   time  was  what  wa> 


Ldled   the  "  li-ht    ot    maintenance, 


The   i-reat    lord: 


M.iiiitr 


were  accust(»i 


i»  liaxe    111 


tl 


u-ir  ser\  ice 


ar 


IUIIM-.      |)n(lit-s  of  men.  o 


tten    idd  soldiers,   who  atteiuh'd 


tl 


u-m    wlu-n 


tl 


lev  wi 


nt    to    rarliament,    into   court,   aiK 


on   o 


ther  occasions. 


Vh 


esr    men  wnir 


the 


1 


i\  dies,  ni 


bad 


Lies,  o 


t    tl 


u-ii    master^,  and  were 


ilwaxs  armeil   am 


teat 


Iv  t(»  li-ht.      It    thus   happened    that    the   -reat  rail: 


aiH 


1  dukes  had  small  re-^ular  armies  always  at  call,  am 


.1 


It   \\as  this    In!  re  o 


tnui    o 


t    tl 


le 


:iiiMies   w 


t    letaineis   that    t<»i  med    the   toinida 
hich    toULiht    in   the    \\ar>   ol    the 


.o>es. 


11 


\r    new 


kiiii;   came  to  the   throne   so  (|uiet1\   that  it 
seemed    liardK    possible   lu'    wa^   tlu'   ^«»n  ot    a  Usm  pn. 


Ileiir 


enr\ 


lie  had  led  a  wild  lite  in  hl^  vouth.  which  is  (k 


♦  mi 
14.!.' 


sc 


ribed  in  Shakespi;are"s  play  o 


t  "  1 1 


>ul    w  hen    lu'    ast  i 


emv 
he'  1 


I\ 


jecame 


•nded    the    tlnonr 
There    was    LTieat     disci  uiteiit 


seiinus    and    patiintic.        There    was    L;reat    discontent 
umhi     the    surface.       'The    1  el  i- ions    ret<»inurs    called 


I  Mllard 


s 


•1 


)ecia 


11 


were    ^o    ac 


ti\i-    that     lleiiiv    uKiv 


1415 


All  A<   K    t  '\     I  K  \\(   1 


9 


have  thought    this  the   be- 


Liinniii: 


( ) 


I     another 


Wat 


Tvl 


er  s  rehel  I  ion. 


At 


an\ 


rate,  he  took  sides  with 
the  churchmen  aL;ainst  the 
I  .ollards.  and   tort\   ot    the 


reiormers   were   Durnec 


.1   at 


the  stake  as  hereti 


<.  >>. 


J-'or  the  moment  the   ef- 


lort    after    retorm 


to     I) 


e    suppressed 


seeme( 
Still, 


1 


it    mi: 


ht  1 


)reak  out   auaiii 


at    an\'    time.    aiK 


1     II 


enr\ 


re^oh'ed     to    diwrt     Tai: 
lishmen's 


irom      their 


minds 


own 


Attack  on 


I.llKl- 


wants   aiK 


1 


Lfriexances    b\ 


the  coiujuest  ot    j"raiice, 


;is 


it 


caiiMii: 


istr 


t  s  s 


to 


an\  one  nation  would  make 


th 


aiiothei 


h 


iai)i)ier 


I'l 


A 


p.irt 


w  hicti. 


tiom  this  motixi 
alter  all,  max  not  ha\e 
been  the  true  one,  it  was 
a  Li'ood  time  to  iiixadc- 
The  T're-neh  kin^' 


T 


laiR-e 


was    insane,  and  his  eldest 


S(  ) 


11,    calh'd    the    liaupliin, 
who       ruled      duiim;      hi.^ 
lather's      madness,      (piai 
relied      with      the      kini;'^ 
brother,  the  1  )uke  ot"   l)i:i 


"unds' 


\ 


oW 


th 


I) 


UlxC 


( I 


I  I 


)urijund\   wa>  the  most 


I  I  I  ii.v  i»i  A  KNuaii  A  r  ll  (•  iit»Ni;Kk, 

^lIl  i\\  I  \«,  1)1  \|   I  .  iI'MIA  T  ,  i|    1'1,\  I  !•- 
\I;M'  'k.       Ii\  II..    \|;.  .1    1     I  4«,o. 


'■''asS*o*5 


8o  THE  FIRST  TWO  LANCASTRIAN   KINGS.  [1420 


powerful  man  in  France,  and  he  and  Henry  of  England, 
working  together,  soon  had  France  at  their  mercy. 

Just  as  Henry  was  about  to  leave  England,  however, 
a  plot  to  set  the  young  Earl  of  March  on  the  throne 
Agin,  was  discovered.  Henry's  uncle,  the  Duke  of 
court  Cambridge,  and  some  of  the  king's  most  trusted 
advisers  were  in  the  plot.  They  were  executed, 
and  the  expedition  set  sail.  The  campaign  was  very 
much  like  that  of  Cressy.  A  great  battle  was  fought 
at  Agincourt,  —  a  battle  well  described  in  Shake- 
speare's "Henry  V."  The  English  were  victorious, 
and,  laden  with  booty  and  prisoners,  they  returned 
to  England. 

Two  years  later,  in  14 17,  the  invasion  was  renewed. 

This   time   the    English    advanced    as   far   as    Rouen 

Treat  ^f  ""^pposcd.     The    Dauphin    and    the    Duke    of 

Troyes  Burgundy  now  made  peace,  but  the  latter  was 
(1420).  - 

soon  after   murdered  by  order  of  the   faithless 

Dauphin.  Then  the  new  Duke  of  Burgundy  forgot 
all  love  of  country  in  a  desire  for  revenge.  At 
Troyes  he  and  Henry  made  a  treaty,  by  which  the 
English  king  agreed  to  marry  the  French  king's 
daughter  Katharine,  and  to  rule  France  during  her 
father's  life  as  regent.  After  his  death,  Henry  was 
to  be  king  of  France,  and  his  son  after  him.  The 
Dauphin  was  thus  disinherited.  All  patriotic  French- 
men gathered  round  him;  but  at  the  time  they  could 
do  nothing  but  wait.  Two  years  later  Henry  died, 
and  was  buried  with  the  greatest  magnificence  in  West- 
minster Abbey.  Above  his  tomb  may  still  be  seen 
his  helmet  and  saddle. 

Henry   V.    should   be   remembered    not    only   as   a 
great  soldier.     He  saw  the  real  path  to  greatness  for 


1422.] 


INCREASE  OF  THE  ENGLISH  NAVY. 


81 


England,  and  by  extending  commerce  in  every  pos- 
sible way  he  contributed  to  the  material  prosperity 
of  the  next  century.  He  increased  and  reformed  the 
English  navy,  which  has  ever  since  been  powerful 
and  famous. 


THE  CLAIMS   OF   YORK   AND   LANCASTER. 

Edward  III. 

T— n *-! 

Edward  the      William,     Lionel,  D.     Edmund,     John  of  Gaunt,    Thomas,  D.  of 
Black  Prmce.     t  i335-    of  Clarence.  D.  of  York.   D.  of  Lancaster.     Gloucester 

I  I  II 

Richard  II.,  Philippa  m.  Henry  IV.  Anne. 

deposed.        Mortimer,  E.  of  March. 


Roger,  E.  of  March. 
I 


Henry  IV. 
Henry  V. 


Edmund,  E.  of  March,     Anne  m.  Richard,  E.  of    Henry  VI. 
t  1424.  I       Cambridge,  | 

I  t  1415-        Edward  (never 

Richard  of  York,  killed  at  reigned). 

Wakefield. 


Humphrey. 


1 
Edward  IV. 


Richard  III. 


Thus,  Richard  of  York  inherited  not  only  the  claims  of  the  House  of  York,  but, 
through  his  mother,  those  of  the  older  House  of  Clarence. 


82 


HENRY  VI. 


[1422. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 


HENRY    VI. 


1422-1461. 

THE  abilities  of  Henry  V.  were  so  great,  and  his 
conquests  so  splendid,  that  the  bad  policy  of  his 
French  invasion  did  not  appear  until  after  his  death. 
His  son,  an  infant  of  eleven  months,  succeeded 

Regency  ,       ,       .  1  •  •  -i.        !_• 

of  Bedford  to  the  thronc,  and  during  his  minority  his 
Giouces-  uncles,  the  Dukes  of  Bedford  and  Gloucester, 
governed  for  him. 
Bedford  was  an  exceedingly  able  man,  and  for  a  time 
all  went  well.  In  1428,  however,  he  laid  siege  to 
loan  of  Orleans.  The  English  would  probably  have 
Arc.  taken  the  town,  had  not  a  new  foe  appeared 
in  the  most  unexpected  way.  This  was  Joan  of  Arc, 
a  peasant  girl  of  Lorraine.  She  believed  that  Michael 
the  archangel  and  other  holy  personages  had  person- 
ally ordered  her  to  go  to  the  Dauphin's  aid.  Her 
appearance  at  court  aroused  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
soldiers;  and  seeing  this,  the  counsellors  of  the 
Dauphin  gave  her  an  army,  and  told  her  to  save 
Orleans.  Now,  this  spirit  of  enthusiasm  was  what  the 
French  soldiers  most  needed.  Adversity  and  practice 
had  made  them  good  soldiers,  and  able  leaders  were 
not  lacking;  but  hitherto  they  had  fought  without 
spirit.  Joan  of  Arc  put  new  life  into  them.  She 
marched  to  Orleans,  and  attacked  the  English  first  on 
this  side,    then  on  that.      The   Englishmen  were  as 


li 


1450-] 


JACK   cade's   REBELLION. 


83 


superstitious  as  the  French.  They  believed  Joan  of 
Arc  to  be  a  witch.  The  siege  was  abandoned,  and 
soon  after  the  Dauphin  was  crowned  king  of  France. 
The  next  year,  however,  Joan  of  Arc  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  English,  and  was  burned  alive.  But  the  spirit 
she  had  aroused  did  not  perish  with  her.  In  1435  the 
Duke  of  Bedford  died,  and  after  his  death  one  place 
after  another  was  lost,  till,  in  1453,  of  all  the  English 
conquests  Calais  alone  remained  in  their  hands;  and 
thus  ended  the  Hundred  Years'  War. 

During  these  later  years  of  disgrace  and  failure  Wil- 
liam de  la  Pole,  Earl  of  Suffolk,  had  ruled  the  king- 
dom through  his  influence  with  the  young  king's  Earl  of 
wife,  Margaret  of  Anjou.  Upon  him  the  people  ^"^°'^- 
laid  the  responsibility  for  the  loss  of  France.  The 
king,  to  save  his  life,  banished  him  for  five  years ;  but 
on  his  way  to  France  he  was  seized  and  executed. 

This  was  in  1450,  and  in  the  same  year  a  rebellion 
broke  out  in  Kent.  Led  by  Jack  Cade,  who  called 
himself  Mortimer,  the  rebels  marched  to  Lon- 

Jack 

don.  They  murdered  many  nobles  and  other  cade's 
persons  obnoxious  to  them,  and  then  began 
plundering  London.  The  Londoners  turned  them 
out,  and  some  time  after  Jack  Cade  was  captured 
and  executed.  It  has  been  thought  that  the  king's 
cousin,  Richard,  Duke  of  York,  was  at  the  bottom  of 
this  plot. 

This  Richard  of  York  was  the  son  of  that  Duke  of 
Cambridge  who  had  plotted  against  Henry  V.   as  he 
was    setting    out    for    France.      Through    his  Rjchard 
mother  he  inherited  the  claims  of  the  Earl  of  of  y°^\ 

claims  the 

March,  who  had  been  passed  over  when  Henry  throne. 
IV.  ascended  the  throne.     His  right  to  the  English 


#1 


84 


HENRY   VI. 


[1455- 


crown  was  better,  therefore,  than  that  of  the  reigning 
king.  Now,  it  happened  at  this  time,  as  it  had  so 
often  happened  before,  that  the  Plantagenets  not  in 
power  opposed  those  who  were.  And  it  is  a  little 
singular  to  see  the  same  families  fighting  for  the  Duke 
of  York  as  had  fought  for  Henry  IV.  against  Richard 
II.  before  Henry  became  king.  In  other  words,  a  cer- 
tain portion  of  the  great  families  of  England  were 
always  in  opposition  to  the  existing  government.  The 
Lancastrians  took  for  their  badge  a  red  rose,  while  the 
Yorkists  adopted  a  white  rose ;  and  it  is  for  this  reason 
that  the  troubles  which  followed  are  called  the  Wars 
of  the  Roses. 

If  Henry  VI.  had  been  a  strong,  able  man,  like  his 
father  and  grandfather,  these  wars  would  probably 
^^^  never  have  occurred.  He  was  not  only  always 
Wars  of  vveak  and  feeble,  but  unfortunately  was  sub- 
Roses  ject  to  fits  of  insanity.  These  attacks  gave  the 
^^'"'  Duke  of  York  abundant  opportunity  to  carry  out 
his  schemes.  The  two  parties  sooh  came  to  blows. 
In  1455  the  Lancastrians  were  beaten,  and  the  king 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Yorkists;  but  he  was  soon 
released.  In  1459  he  was  again  captured,  and  now  the 
Duke  of  York  came  forward  and  claimed  the  crown  in 
right  of  his  mother.  Finally,  it  was  agreed  that  the 
king  should  continue  to  rule  during  his  lifetime,  but 
that  at  his  death  the  crown  should  pass  to  the  Duke  of 
York  and  his  heirs. 

In  this  way  the  young  Prince  of  Wales  was  disin- 
herited. It  could  hardly  be  expected  that  the  queen 
Edward  would  scc  her  son  thus  treated.  Gathering  an 
Y^rk.^  army  in  the  North,  she  marched  towards  London. 
At  Wakefield  she  met  the  Yorkists  and  defeated  them, 


1461.] 


FORTY-SHILLING  FREEHOLDERS. 


85 


the  Duke  of  York  being  killed  during  the  battle, 
or  put  to  death  immediately  after  it.  But  his  son 
Edward,  a  lad  of  nineteen,  was  still  alive.  Getting  a 
small  army  together,  he  pushed  on  to  London,  reach- 
ing it  before  the  queen,  whose  soldiers  wasted  time 
in  plundering  by  the  way.  The  people  of  London 
declared  for  Edward,  and  he  was  proclaimed  king  at 
Westminster  as  Edward  IV.  And  thus  ended  the 
reign,  though  not  the  life,  of  Henry  VI. 

The  most  important  constitutional  event  of  this 
reign  was  the  restricting  the  right  to  vote  in  counties 
for  members  of  the  House  of  Commons  to  those  Forty- 
who  owned  land  in  the  county  to  the  value  of  fre"'"^ 
forty  shillings  a  year.  In  this  way  copyholders  holders. 
and  others  were  deprived  of  the  right  to  vote;  and  this 
remained  the  law  until  1832. 


ROYAL    ARMS   AS   BORNE    BY   HENRY   IV.   AFTER   ABOUT    1408, 
AND   BY   SUCCESSIVE   SOVEREIGNS   VOWN   TO    1603. 


ii».i-'.\ii^itr^sxtl;i£ii&i 


Va-". -4. '■!>*■  Jiat^rihiM.  ^^iMS!ii!i,S.llJS'li'S£lSa£iicl&?-'iei 


86 


THE  YORKIST   KINGS. 


[1461. 


I 


ii 


CHAPTER   XV. 


THE    YORKIST   KINGS. 


1461-1485. 

THE  crown  was  scarcely  on  Edward's  head  when 
he  left  London,  and  marched  northward  to  meet 
the  Lancastrians.  He  found  them  at  Towton,  and 
there  overthrew  them.  He  now  felt  reasonably  secure 
Edward  on  the  throne,  and  so  he  might  have  been,  but 
(m6i-  ^^^  ^^s  marriage  with  Elizabeth  Woodville. 
1483).  She  was  a  beautiful  woman,  but  did  not  belong 
to  any  of  the  great  families.  The  marriage  angered  the 
Yorkist  nobles,  who  became  more  angry  when  Edward 
raised  her  father  to  the  peerage,  and  in  many  other 
ways  increased  the  importance  of  her  family.  This 
was  especially  displeasing  to  the  head  of  the  Neville 
family,  the  great  Earl  of  Warwick.  He  had  really 
placed  Edward  on  the  throne,  and  was  known  as  the 
king-maker.  Finally  he  secured  the  aid  of  the  King's 
brother,  the  Duke  of  Clarence.  Small  insurrections 
broke  out,  and  for  a  time  Warwick  even  kept  Edward 
a  prisoner;  but  in  1470  Warwick  was  forced  to  flee  to 
France.  There  he  found  Queen  Margaret,  and  chang- 
ing sides,  he  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  the  Lancas- 
trians, and  returned  to  England.  Edward  in  turn  was 
forced  to  fly,  and  for  a  time  Warwick  ruled  in  the 
name  of  poor  mad  Henry  VL  The  next  year,  however, 
Edward  came  back,  overthrew  Warwick  at  Barnet,  and 


1480.]        MURDER  OF  THE  DUKE  OF  CLARENCE. 


87 


Queen  Margaret  at  Tewkesbury,  and  once  more  ruled 
as  king.  Warwick  the  king-maker  perished  at  Bar- 
net,  the  young  Prince  of  Wales  at  Tewkesbury,  and 
only  the  old  king  remained.  And  he  too  soon  died, 
murdered,  it  was  said,  in  the  Tower  by  Edward's 
brother,   Richard  of  Gloucester. 

His  rivals  and  enemies  being  out  of  the  way,  Edward 
set  out  on  an  invasion  of  France.  He  got  some  money 
in  a  regular  way  from  Parliament,  and  raised  jn^^des 
more  by  what  were  called  "benevolences;"  that  ^^"^^• 
is,  he  summoned  the  merchants  before  him,  and  asked 
them  for  money  under  this  name.  No  one  dared  re- 
fuse, and  he  set  out  for  France.  Now,  the  king  of 
France  at  that  time  was  Louis  XL,  one  of  the  most 
crafty  men  who  ever  sat  on  the  French  or  any  other 
throne.  Seeing  Edward's  greed  for  money,  he  thought 
it  would  be  much  cheaper  and  better  to  buy  him  off 
than  to  fight  him.  Edward  was  not  unwilling,  and  in 
this  way  his  invasion  of  France  came  to  an  end. 

The  only  other  striking  event   of  his  time  is  the 
murder  of  the  Duke  of  Clarence.     Edward  had  long 
suspected  his  brother  of  treason.     He  now  for-  Murder 
mally  accused  him,  and  the  Peers  convicted  him  ^uke^f 
of  treason.     A  few  days  later  he  was  found  dead  Clarence. 
in  the  Tower,  drowned,  the  story  is,  in  a  butt  of  Malm- 
sey wine.      Not    long  after  Edward  himself  died,   a 
victim  to  intemperance.     In  some  ways  Edward  was 
not  a  bad  king.     He  preserved  order  throughout  the 
kingdom,  at  least  during  the  latter  part  of  his  reign. 
This  was  of  great  advantage  to  the  producing  classes. 
In  many  other  ways  the  king  showed  himself  the  friend 
to  commerce,  even  engaging  in  it  himself. 

Edward  the  Fourth  left  two  sons, —  Edward,  Prince  of 


88 


THE  YORKIST  KINGS. 


[1483. 


Wales,  and  a  younger  brother  Richard,  Duke  of  York. 
Edward  was  but  thirteen  years  old,   and  he  reigned 
less  than  three  months.     Indeed,  he  can  scarcely    ^^^^^^ 
be   said   to   have   reigned    at    all.      From   the   v.^^^^ 
very  first,  his  uncle  Richard,  Duke  of  Glouces- 
ter seems  to  have  determined  to  make  himself  king. 
Getting  possession  of  the  two  boys,   he  sent  them  to 
the  Tower,  which  was  then  used  as  much  for  a  palace 
as  a  prison.     He  then  made  himself  Protector,  ruling 
in  his  nephew's  name.     Next  he  got  rid  of  the   Richard 
principal  members  of  the  queen's  party,  and  then    ^^^^^_ 
claimed  the  crown  for  himself.     On  July  6,  1483,    ^^ss). 
he  was  crowned  at  Westminster  as  Richard  III.  ;   and 
not  long   after   the    young  King    Edward  V.   and  his 
brother  disappeared,  smothered,  it  was  said,  by  Rich- 
ard's order.     But  this,  like  other  stories  of  Richard, 
may  be  false.     Until  recent  years  almost  all  historians 
have  given  Richard  a  very  black  character.     They  have 
also  added  that  he  was  a  humpback,  and  was  very  ugly 
in  person.     We  really  know  very  little  about  him,  and 
most  that  we  do  know  is  derived  from  writers  of  the 
Tudor  period,  whose  interest  it  was  to  say  all  they  could 
against  Richard.     At  all  events,  his  reign  was  so  short 
and  troubled  that  he  had  little  chance  to  show  what- 
ever good  there  may  have  been   in  him.     It  is  now 
supposed,  however,  that  he  was  by  no  means  bad  look- 
ing, and  that  his  back  was  straight.     Very  likely  some 
of  the  other  stories  about  him  had  as  little  foundation 

as  his  hump. 

All  the  old  rivals  of  the  House  of  York  had  been 
killed  on  the  field  of  battle  or  murdered;  but   j,^^ 
a   new   rival   now    appeared    in   the  person   of    Tudors. 
Henry  Tudor,  Earl  of  Richmond.     Through  his  mother 


1485.] 


THE  TUDORS. 


89 


he  was  descended  from  John  of  Gaunt,  though  his 
family  had  been  excluded  from  the  succession;  but 
the  Beauforts,  of  course,  had  never  acknowledged  the 
right  of  Parliament  to  do  this.  The  claim  at  its  best 
was  not  good  for  much.  But  Henry  Tudor  determined 
to  win  the  throne  for  himself  if  he  could.  He  soon 
won  many  Yorkists  over  to  his  side  by  promising  to 
marry  Edward  IV. 's  daughter  Elizabeth;  but  his  early 
attempt  ended  in  failure. 

The  people  of  England,  however,  were  fast  coming 
over  to  Henry's  side;  for  Richard  had  raised  money 
by  means  of  a  forced  loan,  and  had  shown  favor  to  new 
men  who  were  dependent  upon  him  for  their  position 
and  wealth.  Especially  he  had  placed  great  confi- 
dence in  three  men  named  Ratcliffe,  Catesby,  and 
Lovel.  So  much  favor  had  he  shown  them  that  people 
went  round  shouting  this  doggerel:  — 

"  The  Rat,  the  Cat,  and  Lovel  our  Dog 
Rule  all  England  under  the  Hog." 

In  fact,  he  became  so  unpopular,  and  his  own  party 
cared  so  little  for  him,  that  when  Henry  Tudor  came  to 


LANCASTERS   AND   TUDORS. 
Edward  III. 


Blanche  m.  John  of  Gaunt,  Duke  of  Lancaster  m.  Katherine  Swynford. 


Henry  IV. 


John  Beaufort,  Marquis  of 
Somerset. 


Henry  v.  w.  Katharine  m.  Owen  Tudor  John. 

I  of  France.  |  I 

Henry  VI.  Edmund  Tudor,  Earl  of  Richmond  m.  Margaret. 

I  I 

Henry,  Eari  of  Richmond, 
crowned  Henry  VI 1.  of  England. 


Prince  Edward. 


90 


THE  YORKIST   KINGS. 


11485- 


England  in  1485  he  marched  almost  unmolested  to  the 
middle  of  the  island.  The  two  rivals  met  on  Bos- 
worth  Field.      Richard's  two  most  powerful  ad- 


Battle 


of  Bos-    herents  proved  faithless  to  him,   Lord  Stanley 
even  joining  his  stepson  Henry  during  the  fight. 
In  the  battle  Richard  was  killed,  and  at  its  close  the 
Earl  of  Richmond  was  greeted  as  Henry  VH. 


A   FIFTEENTH-CENTURY  SHIP. 


■-■■wt*ta*g»<fg-'»tt'y's?y"'" 


END   OF  THE  MIDDLE  AGES. 


91 


CHAPTER   XVI. 


SOCIAL    CHANGES    DURING   THE   FIFTEENTH    CENTURY. 


AS  we  have  already  seen,  the  feudal  system  had 
begun  to  break  down  as  early  as  the  Second 
Richard's  time.  The  introduction  of  gunpowder,  by 
which  a  common  man,  armed  with  a  fire-arm,  became 
as  dangerous  as  the  knight  in  full  armor,  per- 

1-  1  ,       1   .         ,  _'    ^  Endof 

haps  more  so,  hastened  this  decay.  During  the  Mid- 
the  Wars  of  the  Roses  the  great  feudal  families  '^^^'^^''' 
practically  destroyed  one  another.  And  in  this  way, 
by  the  beginning  of  Henry  VII. 's  reign,  the  feudal 
structure  of  society  in  England  may  be  said  to  have 
perished.  A  new  era  opened,  not  only  for  England, 
but  for  the  civilized  world.  Columbus,  sailing  west- 
ward from  the  Canaries  in  search  of  a  passage  to  India, 
first  saw  the  New  World  in  1492.  Five  years  later  John 
Cabot,  sailing  under  a  license  from  Henry  VII.,  dis- 
covered the  northern  continent.  Upon  this  discovery 
of  John  Cabot  rested  the  claims  of  the  English  sover- 
eigns to  the  most  habitable  part  of  America. 

This  discovery  of  a  new  world  beyond  the  Atlantic 
might  have  produced  little  result,  and  even  been  for- 
gotten, had  not  another  discovery  already  come 
into  common  use.  This  was  the  art  of  printing, 
which  was  introduced  into  England  in  1469  by  Caxton, 
who  had  acquired  the  art  in  Flanders.  Before  this 
time    the    only   way   of   multiplying    books    was    by 


Printing. 


'-•£  ^S'^^     ^lygsg'ss'^'^ '/ifm^^fmii^m 


I  "      i  .  1  .  !        I        r.  I     »  '   I 


I  •   t 


^  ♦  I 


|ji_l,ilnl   111    I  ^•'^'^   li'     lii.ilvttv'l   aliii-'-l    l;lini"lr^tr"l   I'tllir 
111     till       1^1. ih'!  1  tu-    \\\<    t'u.iU     liii't     Mil     !>..> 

U.Mlli     \    u   \>\.         KiviuiI'I    ^   lU"     lll't^t     hMWrlllll    ini 

■I.         i^'!.-;ir-    jiri.\.-<!    l.nlMi-^   1m    nun.    I.mI'I    >!.uih'\ 
I'srii    I- 'III  iir,^  ti!^  ^li]'>>M»i    Ihni\  ilniMi^  tlii-  li^lil. 
In   i!ir   li.inlr  !<!*  ii.inl  u.i-   kiil"-.i.  .mil    it    il^   >  Imx-   iln 
1  ..n  1  ••!    k  n  ltni"nti  w.i-  ^i  >•» •!.■.(  .i^   1  h  iir\    \  11 


(   llAl'Tl.k 


-I  'l.l.M      rilAN'.J  -     I  'I    Ul  \«  .      IMJ       I 


\S    ui"    l).i\c   ;i 
l)i'L;iin    Im 
K  irliiLid  ">   I  iiiir.       riu-   i' 
v\  hie  li  ;i   I'Mnini"  'ii 
,i>   iLinm'iMtis   .1^  ' 
li.ips     inMir    XI.    1, 
ihr  \\\ii^  Ml    ihc  j: 
|»r:h.  I  i(  .1  !1\ 
h\    ihr    '  t    Ik 

JK"1: 

1)1  It    I  Ml   ;ii< 
vv;i!<l  1 1  Min  t  Ih 
lirst  saw  t  hr  \t\\  W 
(  :i  ho! ,    s.i  1 1 ;  ii_    ui 
<  M\  r]\-{\   t  hr  nurllni 
mI     JmIiii    (';ihMl    l\'st. 
rii- lis  1(1  the  pii 

riiis  (iisi^ii 

iniL;ht    hi;i\  r  |)i  oiii;. 

L;Mitrn.  h.nl  iimI    ainahi 

inlM  (.(uninMii  n^.'       f 

wh  irh  \\;i>-  in!  i  udin  ^i;  liiii  -  i  .i 

'AhM    hail    actjiiirrd    tin-   .: 

liinr     1  hr    mdIn'    \\;i\     m1     niii 


I'.  '  \\  I 


I  \ 


\ll 


I  4'  '< ,  \>\  (  . I \  1  (I [  1 . 

1 1  n  i  c  ■  I V      k.  ( 

'1\  itlL'        i k--        W.I-        h\' 


m 


"^^  v<^Ss 


^^^ 

\V^ 


'^*J 


;  «rTiiMipiir.jHB 


^gjj^^^^S^ 


w  ^    WJ«&*a.  J'  j^t.^^. 


'^^^If^mw^rf-r^f'a^-'j^y^^Bffg^mmm 


92      SOCIAL   CHANGES   IN   THE  FIFTEENTH   CENTURY. 

copying  by  hand.  This  was  not  only  slow,  but  very 
expensive.  When  Caxton  set  up  his  printing-press  he 
was  by  no  means  a  young  man.  Yet  so  eager  were 
people  for  books  that  before  he  died  he  had  either 
written  or  translated  and  printed  sixty  works.  Learn- 
ing began  to  flourish,  and  in  the  next  century  England 
emerged  from  a  state  of  semi-barbarism,  and  during 
Elizabeth's  reign  produced  the  greatest  works  in  the 
English  language. 

Another  thing  which  marked  the  beginning  of  a  new 

era  was  the   decay  of   villeinage,  or  serfdom.      This 

was    brousrht    about    in    part    bv   the    Roman 

Abolition  ^  ,  .      f  1      '  •    1 

of  villein-  Catholic  pricsts,  who  induced  many  rich  men 
^^  to  free  their  serfs.  Of  course,  in  the  long 
run,  this  was  beneficial  to  the  lower  class  and  to  the 
country;  but  for  a  while  there  was  much  suffering. 
In  feudal  times  a  man's  importance  depended  upon 
the  number  of  his  followers.  His  only  desire  then 
was  to  make  his  land  support  as  many  persons  as  pos- 
sible. Now,  however,  with  the  growth  of  trade  and 
commerce,  a  man's  importance  depended  more  upon  his 
wealth  than  upon  any  other  single  thing.  Men  only 
desired  to  get  as  much  profit  from  their  land  as  possi- 
ble. In  old  days  when  the  serf  became  sick  or  feeble 
he  was  taken  care  of,  though  not  very  tenderly,  by  his 
master.  Now  he  was  free,  and  was  turned  off,  if  he 
became  useless,  and  another  hired  in  his  place.  Then, 
too,  it  was  often  more  profitable  to  raise  sheep  for 
their  wool  than  to  raise  wheat.  But  it  takes  fewer 
men  to  tend  sheep  on  a  hundred  acres  than  it  takes 
to  raise  crops  on  those  same  acres;  and  in  this  way 
many  men  lost  their  occupation.  Then  again,  under 
the   old   system  of  landholding,  agriculture  was  very 


LOSS   OF   POWER   BY   PARLIAMENT. 


93 


slack.  Now,  however,  under  the  leasehold  system  it 
was  for  the  interest  of  the  tenant  to  make  as  much 
as  he  could  out  of  his  holding.  He  therefore  hired 
as  little  help  as  possible,  making  those  in  his  employ 
work  a  great  deal  harder  than  they  had  worked  before. 
In  one  way  or  another,  therefore,  vast  numbers  of 
men  were  thrown  out  of  employment  in  the  country. 
They  flocked  to  the  towns,  where  the  capitalists  stood 
ready  to  hire  them  by  the  day  or  week.  We  have 
already  seen  the  beginning  of  this.  Now,  however, 
laborers  streamed  to  the  towns  in  such  numbers  that 
what  was  called  the  "guild"  system,  by  which  each 
trade  managed  its  own  affairs,  was  weakened,  and  the 
system  of  open  competition,  such  as  we  now  have, 
began  to  prevail. 

During  this  century  Parliament,  instead  of  gaining 
more  power,  had  lost  much  that  it  had  possessed.  In 
the  House  of  Lords  the  old  nobility  had  almost  l^s^  ^f 
disappeared.  In  its  place  was  a  new  nobility,  ^°Ji^.^^ 
as  yet  dependent  on  the  king  and  devoted  to  ment. 
him.  The  House  of  Commons,  too,  had  lost  much  of 
its  strength.  We  have  seen  how  the  right  to  vote  had 
been  restricted  in  the  counties.  In  the  towns,  or 
"boroughs,"  too,  the  same  process  had  gone  on.  In 
the  older  time  all  freemen  in  the  boroughs  had  voted. 
But  gradually,  in  many  boroughs,  a  small  circle  of  men 
secured  all  powers  of  government ;  and  in  this  way, 
while  the  town,  or  borough,  grew,  its  ruling  class 
remained  stationary  or  decreased  in  number.  As 
these  men  elected  the  members  of  the  House  of 
Commons  for  their  borough,  the  commoners  ceased 
to  represent  the  people  at  large.  Now,  it  is  easy  to 
see  that  the   smaller   the   number  of  men  voting   for 


■ttitihi^aaytiHiiMii'iir 


a^iHiirtaMaajtei^aJaSaiaafe! 


Jl   •*-   "tS'aJViv    ■*'   ..     «   ^  »^   r.^S'ji.  -*  ! 


1 1 


94      SOCIAL  CHANGES   IN   THE  FIFTEENTH   CENTURY. 

a  member  of  Parliament,  the  easier  it  was  for  the 
Government  to  intimidate  or  bribe  enough  voters  to 
o-ive  them  a  majority  in  the  House  of  Commons.  In 
this  way  Parliament,  during  the  whole  Tudor  period, 
became  little  better  than  a  tool  of  the  king  and  his 

ministers. 

One  important  gain  had  been  made,  though  it  did 
not  bear  fruit  till  later  times.  In  the  old  days  the 
Money  two  houses  had  drawn  up  petitions  asking  the 
bills.  j^jj^g  |.Q  gi-ant  certain  laws.  The  king  often  con- 
sented to  a  petition,  and  then,  after  getting  the  money 
he  wanted,  and  dissolving  Parliament,  so  changed  the 
law  that,  when  it  was  finally  passed,  those  who  had 
asked  for  it  could  not  recognize  it.  Now  the  two 
houses  began  to  draw  up  the  laws  themselves,  and 
present  them  to  the  king  for  his  consent.  At  first, 
however,  it  was  a  change  only  in  form.  But  the  time 
was  coming  when  the  Commons  would  refuse  to  grant 
money  for  the  king's  use  until  he  had  assented  to  their 
bills,  as  these  petitions  now  came  to  be  called.  The 
machinery,  in  other  words,  was  all  ready  for  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  country  by  the  House  of  Commons ;  it 
only  remained  to  bring  a  class  into  power  which  could 
and  would  use  the  machinery.  And  discerning  men 
could  already  foresee  the  coming  importance  of  the 
middle  class,  composed  of  merchants,  shopkeepers, 
and  small  farmers,  — a  class  destined  in  time  to  rule 
the  House  of  Commons,  and  through  it  to  govern 
England.  That  time  was  to  be  long  deferred;  but  the 
beginnings  were  now  made.  And  that  is  why  with 
the  reign  of  Henry  VII.  modern  English  history  may 
be  said  to  begin.  Let  us  now  study  the  doings  of 
these  Tudor  sovereigns. 


1485.] 


ATTEMPT   OF   SIMNEL. 


95 


CHAPTER   XVII. 


HENRY    Vn. 


1 48  5- 1 509. 

THOUGH  Henry  had  been  brought  to  the  throne 
as  the  leader  of  the  Lancastrian  party,  he  really 
became  king  because  there  was  no  one  to  oppose  him. 
To  make  his  title  more  secure  he  had  himself  elected 
king  by  Parliament,  and  married  Elizabeth  of  Henry's 
York,  daughter  of  Edward  IV.  In  many  re-  P°'^'*°"' 
spects  his  position  was  like  that  of  Henry  IV.,  and 
throughout  his  reign  he  was  always  careful  to  keep 
within  the  law.  He  also  enforced  the  law  with  great 
strictness,  encouraged  commerce  in  every  way,  and 
avoided  war  as  much  as  possible.  In  short,  his  quiet, 
strong  rule  was  precisely  what  England  needed  to 
enable  her  to  make  good  the  waste  of  the  civil  wars. 
It  must  not  be  supposed,  however,  that  Henry  was  left 
to  enjoy  the  throne  in  peace. 

One  of  his  first  acts  had  been  to  imprison  the  young 
Earl  of  Warwick,  son  of  that  Duke  of  Clarence  who 
was  said  to  have   been  drowned  in  a  butt  of  ,^^ 

Attempt 

Malmsey.     In   1487  a  young  man  appeared   in  of 
Ireland,  and  pretended  to  be  this  same  Earl  of 
Warwick.     His  real  name  was  Lambert  Simnel;  and, 
invading  England,  he  was  captured,  and  made  an  assis- 
tant to   Henry's   own  cook;    but   his  followers  were 
treated  with  great  severity. 


»iife.»h*Pi.M:*Ma.^a.j,-^j^.:;t,^^j*^  ■i'fea*T-frc*hJianaJli«*- 


Ji%fa«rtfeffla3iBgBJfei;hBLV--i'i^.    w*i-f,  ',.-\.''^.-':»:i^-  t4!iv*'^-^'-^ 


'  t^         ^7.rfnf  l^^«^^«^  I 


uA.  /jy^ort*.  ■arV^T^f   wtAP-^t 


96 


HENRY  VII. 


[1498. 


A  more  dangerous  claimant  soon  appeared,  styling 
himself  Richard  Plantagenet,  Duke  of  York.  He 
declared  that  when  his  brother,  Edward  V., 
^uempt  ^^^  murdered  in  the  Tower,  his  own  life  had 
warbeck.  ^^^^  Spared.  His  real  name  was  probably 
Perkin  Warbeck.  But  whoever  he  was,  he  had  been 
so  well  schooled  in  his  part  that  he  deceived  many 
people  who  should  have  been  able  to  detect  an  im- 
postor. After  living  in  France  and  Burgundy,  he 
went  to  Scotland  and  married  Lady  Katharine  Gordon, 
a  kinswoman  of  the  Scottish  king.  He  then  tried  to 
invade  England,  first  from  Scotland,  and  then  by  way 
of  Cornwall,  where  there  happened  to  be  some  discon- 
tent. Both  attempts  failed.  In  1498  he  was  captured, 
taken  to  London,  and  he  and  the  Earl  of  Warwick, 
trying  to  escape,  were  both  executed.  No  one,  even 
to  this  day,  really  knows  whether  Perkin  Warbeck  was 
an  impostor  or  the  son  of  Edward  IV. 

The  remainder  of  his  reign  Henry  devoted  to 
strengthening  his  position  by  marrying  his  children  to 
foreign  princes  and  princesses.  Some  of  these 
u^ei^n  marriages  were  of  great  importance,  especially 
^^''^'  that  of  his  daughter  Margaret  to  James  IV.  of 
Scotland,  as  their  descendant  was  Mary,  Queen  of 
Scots,  whose  son,  James  VI.  of  Scotland,  afterwards 
became  king  of  England. 

Owing  to  the  disturbance  of  the  civil  wars,  crime 
had  for  a  long  time  gone  on  unchecked.  Indeed,  it 
The  seemed  impossible  to  carry  out  the  laws,  one 
Sto**'^  reason  being  that  juries  would  not  convict. 
Chamber.  Henr>^  therefore  instituted  a  new  court,  called 
the  Court  of  the  Star  Chamber,  where  offences  were 


I 


1509.]  THE  COURT   OF   STAR  CHAMBER.  97 

tried  without  a  jury.  At  first  this  court  was  used 
to  suppress  crime.  But  during  later  reigns  it  became 
an  instrument  of  tyranny,  and  was  then  greatly  de- 
tested. In  1509  Henry  VII.  died,  and  was  succeeded 
by  his  son,  Henry  VIII. 


TUDOR 


ROSE   (WHITE   AND  RED)  :   FROM   THE  GATES  OF  THE  CHAPEL 

OF  HENRY   VII. 


98 


HENRY   VIII. 


[1509- 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 


HENRY    VIII. 


1 509-1 547. 

THE  young  king  —  for  the  eighth  Henry  was  only 
eighteen  years  of  age  when  his  father  died  —  had 
many  things  in  his  favor.     He  was  handsome,  well- 
educated,  and  soon  rendered  himself  popular  by  per- 
secuting the  men  his  father  had  employed  to 

The 

Spanish   extort    moncy.      These   men   had   always   kept 
marriage,  ^.^j^.^  the  law,   but  they  were  none  the  less 

hated.  H(;  then  completed  the  marriage  with  his 
brother's  widow,  Katharine  of  Arragon,  daughter  of 
the  king  of  Spain.  This  marriage,  or  rather  the 
breaking  of  it,  proved  to  be  of  such  great  consequence 
to  England  and  to  all  Englishmen  that  we  must  stop 
a  moment  and  see  who  Katharine  was,  and  why  Henry 
had  delayed  for  years  to  carry  out  his  part  of  the  mar- 
riage agreement.  In  the  first  place  Katharine  was  the 
daughter  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  under  whose 
license  Columbus  had  sailed  on  his  famous  voyage  for 
India.  It  was  in  their  time,  too,  that  all  of  what  we 
now  call  Spain  was  united  under  one  rule.  Katharine's 
nephew  Charles,  soon  to  become  emperor  as  Charles 
v.,  was  by  far  the  most  powerful  man  of  his  time. 
It  was  natural,  therefore,  that  Henry  should  not 
wish  to  offend  the  great  house  of  Spain,  and  be- 
sides,  at   that   time   Englishmen   regarded   Spain   as 


1509-] 


HENRY  VIII. 


99 


HENRY  VIII.:  FROM  A   PAINTING   BY  HOLBEIN   ABOUT  I536, 
BELONGING  TO   EARL  SPENCER. 


o.> 


') 


lll-.Nk\    \  II 


ciiApriik  win 


lILMvV    VIII, 


[1300. 


1 5CM>-  1 547. 


T 


III",   xnimi;   kin.L;  —  tor  tlir  tii;htli  I  Irniy  w.is  (»iil\ 


L-i 


.^I'l 


cell  \  ra 


r>  of  aiic  wlu'U  liis  tallKT  died  —  had 


inanv   lidii-s   in   hi>  lavor 


11 


C     Wil.s 


hand 


>oinc,    wl 


11 


c< 


hualed,  aiul   .so»»n    ivnchTcd    hini^'lt    popular   by  prr- 
SL'CUlinL;   llic   niun   hi^    lather    had    Lin|)loyed    lo 

These    men    had    always    kc\)\. 
within    the    law,    luil    they    were    none    the    less 
hated.       lie    then    eoni[»leted    the    niarria-e    with    his 


Til. 

^|Min->i»    e.\t<»it    money 


hiotl 


ler  .s    wiMow 


Katl 


nirine    o 


t    A 


rraLion.   da 


iiL:ht 


e 


o] 


llic    kin.;;    ol     Si)ain. 


11 


lis    marriaiie,    or    ratlu-r 


tl 


le 


;i  moment  and  see  u 


hreakiiii;  ol  it,  proved  to  be  of  siieli  -reat  eoiisecjuence 
to    l-.n-laiid   and   to  all    hai-lishmen   that  we  must   stop 

ho  Katharine  wa>,  and  why  lleiiry 
had  delayed  for  years  to  carry  out  his  part  ol  the  mar- 
riage a-i-i-ement.  In  the  first  jdaci'  Katharine  was  the 
daughter  of  {''erdiiiand  and  Isabella,  under  whose 
license  Columbus  had  sailed  on  his  famous  \.)va-e  lor 
India.        Ft  was  in  their  time.  too.  that   all  ol  what  we 


now  ca 
nehhew 


11  Si 


)ain  was  uni 


ted  under  one  ruU'.      Kathaiini-'s 


Charles,  soon  to  become  emperor  as  Charles 
\'.,  was  by  idv  the  most  powerful  man  of  his  time. 
It  was  natural,  therefore,  that  Henry  should  not 
ish    to    offend    the    'J^vlwX    house    of    Spain,    and    be- 


w 


,itles,    at    that    time    i:nL;lishmen    regan 


led    Si 


)ain    as 


5^'J-\ 


1 11  :nr\   viii 


99 


in^NRV 


VIII.:   FROM     \    I'MN  1  'N' 


;V    Il'tl.ia  IN    Allnrr  iq^b. 


lii:iA)N»aN<.    T<»    I.AKl.    SI'KNCKK. 


lOO 


HENRY   VIII. 


[1513- 


their  natural  friend.  How  this  last  feeling  came  to 
be  changed  we  shall  see  before  long.  There  was  one 
thing  against  this  marriage,  and  that  was  that  the  law  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church  —  the  canon  law,  as  it  is 
sometimes  called  —  did  not  allow  a  man  to  marry  his 
brother's  widow.  This  prohibition  was  based  on  the 
Old  Testament,  and  is  still  the  rule  in  some  countries, 
including  England.  The  Pope,  however,  was  very 
anxious  to  please  Katharine's  family,  and  granted 
to  Henry  and  Katharine  a  release,  or  dispensation, 
from  the  operation  of  the  law,  and  so  they  were  speed- 
ily married. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Henry  VH.  had  wisely 
kept  out  of  war  whenever  it  was  possible.      His  son, 
War  with  however,    was    less    pacific,    and    was    soon   at 
France.    ^^^  ^yj^|^   France,   fighting  on  the  side  of  the 
Spaniards  and  Germans.     The  war  amounted  to  little, 
though  the  English  won  a  strange  victory  at  Guinegaste 
in  Flanders,  where  the  French  ran  away  so  fast  that 
it  came  to  be  known  as  the  "Battle  of  the  Spurs." 
As  had  happened  so  many  times  before,   the   French 
king  thought  the  best  way  to  meet  the  English  attack 
would  be  to  stir  up  the  Scots,  so  in  this  same  year  the 
Scots  invaded  England;  but  all  Englishmen  were  not 
in  France,  though  the  king  was.      Led  by  Lord  Surrey, 
the   English   attacked    the    Scots   at    Flodden    Edge. 
King  James  IV.  of  Scotland,  Henry's  brother-in-law, 
was  killed  on  the  field,   the  Scottish  force  was  com- 
pletely broken  up,  and  soon  after  a  general  peace  was 
made. 

Henry's  chief  adviser  during  these  first  years  of  his 
reign  was  Thomas  VVolsey.  This  great  statesman 
was  of   respectable  birth  and   well  educated,  and   by 


.f 


1 519] 


CARDINAL   WOLSEY. 


lOI 


his  great  talents  and  industry  raised  himself  from 
one  position  to  another  till  he  became  chancellor, 
Archbishop  of  York,  a  cardinal,  and  even  legate  of 
the  Pope  in  England.  As  legate  he  possessed  cardinal 
all  the  power  which  the  Pope  would  have  ^o^^^>'- 
exerted  had  he  been  personally  in  England.  From 
his  decision  in  matters  of  religion  there  was  no 
appeal.  In  this  way  the  English  people  became 
accustomed  to  having  all  power  in  church  and  state 
centred  in  their  own  government ;  and  when,  in  a  few 
years,  the  king  was  declared  the  head  of  the  English 
Church,  instead  of  the  Pope  or  his  legate,  it  did  not 
seem  so  strange  to  the  people  as  it  would  have  at 
one  time  seemed.  Wolsey  was  a  very  far-seeing  man. 
He  saw  that  the  time  was  not  far  off  when  a  refor- 
mation of  the  Catholic  Church  would  be  demanded  in 
such  a  way  that  it  could  not  be  resisted.  He  wished 
to  save  the  Church  by  reforming  it  from  the  inside 
rather  than  by  having  the  reform  forced  upon  it  by 
those  outside.  For  this  reason  he  had  become  legate, 
and  he  actually  began  reforms  in  the  Church  in  Eng- 
land. For  the  same  reason,  too,  he  desired  to  become 
Pope.  It  so  happened  that  at  this  time  there  was 
an  election  for  the  crown  of  the  Holy  Roman  Empire. 
Charles  I.  of  Spain,  who  was  also  Archduke  of  Austria, 
had  the  best  claim ;  but  Francis  I.  of  P" ranee  also  put 
in  a  claim,  and  so  did  Henry.  Charles  was  elected, 
and  war  between  him  and  Francis  was  sure  to  follow. 
Both  tried  to  secure  the  aid  of  England,  and  Francis 
entertained  Henry  in  a  most  regal  way  on  a  plain 
afterwards  called  the  Field  of  the  Cloth  of  Gold, 
because  of  the  splendor  there  displayed ;  but  Wolsey 
and  Henry  had  other  plans.      Even  before  this  meet- 


102 


HENRY   VIII. 


[1528. 


ing,  Charles  had  visited  England  secretly,  and  by 
promising  his  aid  to  Wolsey  in  the  matter  of  the  elec- 
tion of  a  new  Pope,  had  led  England  again  to  take  the 
side  of  Spain  and  Germany.  Soon,  however,  there 
was  a  change.  Charles  beat  Francis  so  completely  as 
to  no  longer  need  the  aid  of  England ;  and  when  the 
election  for  a  new  Pope  came  off,  he  worked  against 
Wolsey.  So  Henry  and  Wolsey  changed  sides,  and  in 
1528  made  an  alliance  with  France.  In  other  ways, 
too,  Henry  abandoned  the  Spanish  alliance. 

He  had  never  loved  Katharine,  and  as  years  went  by, 
and  son  after  son  died  soon  after  birth,  he  began  to 
have  conscientious  scruples  about  the  rightful- 
ness of  the  marriage.  These  scruples,  even  if 
they  were  genuine  in  the  beginning,  which  many 
people  doubt,  were  greatly  increased  when  he 
fell  violently  in  love  with  Anne  Boleyn,  a  lady  of  his 
court,  and  a  granddaughter  of  that  Thomas  Howard, 
Earl  of  Surrey  and  Duke  of  Norfolk,  who  had  won  the 
great  victory  at  Plodden  Edge.     The  king  first  applied 

THE   HOWARDS. 

John  Howard,  Duke  of  Norfolk, 
killed  at  Bosworth. 

Thomas,  Earl  of  Surrey,  victor  of  Flodden, 
restored  to  the  dukedom. 

I 

Thomas,  Duke  of    Edmund.        William,  Lord        Thomas  Boleyn  »/.  Elizabeth. 
Norfolk.  Howard  of  Effingham.  I 


The 

divorce 
from 
Katha- 
rine. 


Katharine  m.  Henry  VHI. 
executed  1542. 
Henry,  Earl  of 
Surrey,  executed  Charles,  2d  Lord  Howard  of 

1547.  Effingham,  defeats 

I  Armada,  15SS. 

Thomas,  Duke  of  Norfolk, 
executed  1572. 


Anne  Boleyn  m. 
Henry  VIIL,  executed  1536. 


Queen  E 


izabeth . 


1529.] 


HENRYS   PERSONAL   RULE. 


103 


I 


<< 


to  the  Pope  for  a  divorce  from  Katharine,  claiming 
the  original  marriage  to  have  been  illegal.  Ordinarily 
the  Pope  would  have  made  no  difficulty  in  complying 
with  such  a  request ;  but  just  at  this  time  it  happened 
that  he  was  actually  shut  up  in  the  Castle  of  St. 
Angelo  in  Rome  by  Charles  the  Fifth's  army.  It 
could  hardly  be  expected  that  he  would  still  further 
offend  Charles  by  declaring  his  aunt  Katharine's  mar- 
riage illegal;  so  he  tried  to  put  off  any  decision, 
and  finall}^,  in  1529,  ordered  the  matter  to  be  tried 
before  him  at  Rome.  Wolsey  had  assured  the  king 
that  the  divorce  would  be  granted,  and  when  it  was 
not  allowed,  Henry  lost  all  patience.  Wolsey  was  dis- 
missed from  all  his  offices,  and  his  property  was  con- 
fiscated to  the  Crown.  It  is  true  that  by  accepting  the 
office  of  legate  he  had  done  an  illegal  act ;  but  he  had 
done  it  at  Henry's  special  request.  Henry  the  Eighth, 
however,  never  remembered  such  things  when  a  man 
had  offended  him.  Wolsey  had  extorted  money  in 
many  illegal  ways,  and  it  was  attempted  to  make  his 
offences  treason.  The  first  attempt,  owing  to  the 
exertions  of  his  former  servant,  Thomas  Cromwell, 
failed,  and  while  coming  to  London  to  stand  trial  on 
a  later  charge  he  died. 

When  Wolsey  was  out  of  power  and  place,  the  king, 
for  the  first  time  in  his  reign,  looked  about  him  with 
his  own  eyes.  From  that  moment,  though  he 
employed  able  men  in  his  service,  Henry  the  ^r^onai 
Eighth  ruled  England.  And  he  ruled  England  '■"^'* 
as  few  kings  have  ruled  before  or  since.  His  political 
instincts  and  abilities  were  indeed  remarkable.  In 
many  ways  Henry  was  a  brute  and  a  tyrant.  His 
mind  was  despotic,   and  he  did  many  things  that  no 


104 


HENRY   VIII. 


[1532- 


one  likes  to  recall.  Let  it  be  said,  therefore,  to  his 
credit,  that  it  was  owing  mainly  to  his  sagacity  and 
firmness  that  England  was  spared  the  religious  wars 
and  persecutions  to  which  France,  Germany,  and  Spain 
were  subjected.  Henry  saw  very  clearly  that  the  peo- 
ple would  be  on  his  side  in  a  struggle  with  the  Pope. 
Not  that  Englishmen  were  not  Catholics  so  far  as  doc- 
trine and  belief  went.  But  they  wished  for  some 
reformation  in  the  government  of  that  Church  in  Eng- 
land. A  few  years  before,  Henry  had  become  so 
angry  with  Luther,  the  German  reformer,  that  he  had 
actually  written  a  book  against  him,  for  which  the 
Pope  had  given  him  the  title  of  ''Defender  of  the 
Faith."  The  title  is  still  borne  by  English  monarchs; 
but  it  was  not  long  before  the  Pope  must  have  thought 
Henry  very  undeserving  of  it.  In  1529  a  Parliament 
met,  and  the  House  of  Commons,  under  the  guidance 
of  Thomas  Cromwell,  entered  heartily  into  the  work 
of  reforming  the  Church  in  England.  Sir  Thomas 
More,  Wolsey's  successor  as  chancellor,  was  unwill- 
ing to  go  as  far  as  Henry  desired,  and  before  long 
Cromwell  became  the  king's  chief  adviser. 

In  1532  all  appeals  to  the  Pope  were  forbidden;  and 
this  being  against  the  wish  of  the  Archbishop  of  Can- 
^^^  terbury,  he  resigned.  In  his  stead  was  placed 
statute    Thomas  Cranmer,  a  scholar  of  Cambridge,  who 

against  ,       ,  ,  ^  ^^  •  ^        tt 

appeals  had  already  suggested  many  thmgs  to  Henry, 
to  Rome,  ^j^^  qucstion  of  the  legality  of  the  marriage 
with  Katharine  was  immediately  brought  before  him 
in  his  archbishop's  court,  and  a  decision  given  in 
Henry's  favor.  The  king  then  acknowledged  his  mar- 
riage with  Anne  Boleyn.  In  a  short  time  a  daughter, 
the    Princess    Elizabeth,    was    born,    and    Parliament, 


1534] 


THE  CHURCH   OF  ENGLAND. 


105 


1 


SIR  THOMAS   MORE,   WEARING   THE   COLLAR   OF   SS  :   FROM    AN 

ORRIINAL   PORTRAIT   PAINTED    BY    HOLBEIN    IN   1527, 

BELONGING  TO    EnVVARD   HIJTH,    ESQ. 

declaring  the  children  of  Henry  and  Anne  to  be  the 
true  heirs  of  the  crown,  disinherited  Katharine's 
daughter,   the  Princess  Mary. 

The  reformation  of  the  English  Church,  however, 
did  not  stop  with  the  divorce  of  Katharine.  The 
Pope  excommunicated  Henry,  and  declared  the  divorce 


I04 


m.Nk\   VIII. 


li 


t»nL- 


likes  tn   recall.      I.cl  il   l)e  saiil,  thcivloiv,  to   hi: 


credit,  that    it    was   nwin: 


in 


ainh    to   his   sai;acit\'   and 


rinn!\c-s>  that  l-Ji-laiul  was  spared  tlie  reli-ious  wai> 
cUid  persecution^  to  which  i-'rance.  (ierniany,  and  Spain 
were  subjected.  Henry  saw  very  clearl\  that  the  i)eo- 
Id   he  on  hi>   side  in  a  ^tru-.-le  witl>   the    I'ope. 


.1 


)  e  \\  •  >  u 


1 

Ni.t  that    laiL;li>linien  were  not  Catholics  s«»  lar  as  doc- 

1    beliel    went.        But    thev    wi>hc-d    tor    some 


trine   ant 


rehMination  i!i  the  -'overnn 


til 


iient  ol   that  ("hurch  in   hai: 


land. 


A    I 


ew    \ears 


helore,     1  leniv    had    become    so 


iwrx   with    Luther,  the  (ierm 


in   reformer,  that  he  had 


ac 


luallv    written    a    bouk   a 


Liinst    him,    tor    which    the 


IV. pe  had  -iven  him  the  title  of  "Dekaider  ol  the 
l'*aith.'"  The  title  i>  still  borne  by  lai-lish  monarchs; 
t  Ion-  belore  the  I'ope  must  have  thoUL;ht 

I    it.      In    I S-^)  'I   Tarliament 


but  it  wa>  n<» 


11 


enrv  \erv  undeM-r\ mi;  o 


\u^ 


t    and   the   House  ol    Commons,  nndei"  the  -uidance 


ol'  Thomas  Cromwi 


11,   entered    heartilv    into   the   woik 


)\    leloiniin; 


M 


oi'e 


w 


(  MSI 


ini;    to 


o 


the    Chuich    in    Mn-land.       Sir    'llnunas 

hancellor,    was   unwill- 
U-sired,    and    belore    loU',:; 


•V  s   successor   as  c 


as   tar   as    Heni\    < 


Cromwell  became  the  kin-'s  chiel  adviser. 

In   153J  all  appeals  to  the  Tope  were  lorbidden  ;   and 
this  hc'wvj,  a^-ainst  the  wish  ol    the  Archl)isht>i>  ol    Can- 
placed 


Tl. 


terl 


)urv 


he    lesiLinei 


1.       1 


n    his  s 


tead 


st.itiit.     Thomas   Cranmia',  a  sch(>lar  ol    (  am 

tu  Koiili 


was 
l)]'idi 


who 


u     had   already   sul;-. jested   many   things   to    lleiii\. 
The    (luestion    ot    the    le-ality    ol    the    mania-e 
with    Katharine   was    immediatelv    brought    belore   him 


n 


h 


IS 


ai\ 


hbisl' 


lop  S     (.'<  > 


urt,    and    a    decision    -iven     in 


1  lenrv's  ta\  oi" 


ihe  kinu  then  acknowledL;ed  his  mar- 


ria-'C  wi 


th  .\nne 


P.mI 


e\  n 


I II  a  short   time  a  daughter 


the    Trincess     I'li/abeth,     was    born,    and     I'.ii  liaim-nt 


534  J 


Till.  (  III  k(  II  or   i:.\(.i.AM). 


lO- 


;ik    I  II'  iM  \s   \i>  H 


W  I  A  K  i  \  ' 


I II 


\  \1.    I'.  >l;  I  K  \ll     I'  \l  \  II   I  ' 


'•■'II    \k     1  •!     S- 
i:N      III  'I.|;|   I\     I 


I'  'M 


|;|  I.I  »\.  ,1  \i,     j-i  >    I  I'W  \l;l  '    III    III. 


drel; 
triK' 


rin 


u-ir 


)( 


'  M 


('!i  III !  rcn  ( ) 


II 


in 


1    A 


mil ■   In    |>f   t  hi 


!  I  I  \  \  I  I 


11 


lerited      i\:!lh 


w 


daiiL;hler.    lib-    I'ripce^s    .\lar\. 

The   rel'MiDiiiMn   ol    ih«'     !'jiL;lish    ('hiiirh.    iio 
did     Uol     >lop    wilh     tin-    (li\'nree    d      k;ilh;inile. 
Tope  exeoimiTinieated   I  b  m  \ ,  ,illd  dei  l.ii^  d  1  he  d  i 


rv 


I* 


^    V- 


io6 


HENRY  VIII. 


[1536. 


1539] 


DESTRUCTION   OF  THE  MONASTERIES. 


107 


to  be  of  no  account.  Almost  in  self-defence  the 
king  was  obliged  to  break  with  the  Pope.  Parlia- 
The  ment  passed  law  after  law.  Payments  of  any 
Church  j^j^^  ^y  ^^^  clergy  to  Rome  were  forbidden. 
England.  Pqj-  ^j^g  future  all  such  payments  must  be  made 
to  the  king.  Bishops  should  no  longer  be  appointed  by 
the  Pope,  but  should  be  chosen  according  to  the  king's 
command.  Many  changes,  too,  were  made  in  the  dis- 
cipline of  the  Church  in  England.  Even  the  clergy 
were  glad  to  admit  the  right  of  Parliament  to  regulate 
the  affairs  of  the  Church,  to  pay  a  large  sum  of  money 
to  the  king,  and  even  to  acknowledge  him  to  be  "  Su- 
preme Head  on  Earth  of  the  Church  of  England.'* 
In  fact,  it  was  dangerous  to  deny  this  title;  for 
the  Act  of  Supremacy,  passed  in  1534,  declared 
any  one  who  should  do  this  guilty  of  high  treason. 
Among  the  first  to  refuse  this  recognition  was  Sir 
Thomas  More,  and  by  his  prompt  execution  Henry 
showed  how  terribly  in  earnest  he  and  his  advisers 
were. 

In  England,  as  in  all  other  Catholic  countries, 
there  were  then  two  classes  of  persons  called,  techni- 
Destruc-  cally,  "rcligious," — the  secular  and  regular. 
thTmon-  The  former  were  the  parish  priests  and  their 
asteries.  superiors,  as  far  as  the  archbishops.  The  latter 
were  men  and  women  who  had  taken  vows  to  live 
according  to  certain  rules  and  regulations.  With 
few  exceptions,  these  were  gathered  into  convents 
and  monasteries  and  other  places  where  they  lived 
together.  Now  the  monks  and  friars  had  great  in- 
fluence with  the  people,  and  so  far  the  reforms  in  the 
English  Church  had  not  touched  them.  On  the  con- 
trary,   they  were  working  hard  to  arouse  the   people 


against  Henry  and  his  reformation.  Probably  it  was 
necessary  for  his  own  safety  to  put  a  stop  to  this ;  but 
Henry  acted  here,  as  always,  with  harshness,  urged  on, 
no  doubt,  by  Cromwell,  and  inspired  by  the  thought 
of  the  riches  to  be  obtained.  For  years  it  had  been 
known  that  in  some  of  these  monasteries  the  monks 
led  far  from  holy  lives.  It  was  determined  to  send  a 
commission  to  inquire  into  the  condition  of  them  all. 
This  commission  acted  in  a  very  despotic  manner,  and 
obtained  evidence  oftentimes  in  most  discreditable 
ways.  There  probably  was  some  truth  in  its  report, 
but  there  must  have  been  a  great  deal  of  falsehood. 
At  all  events,  it  was  decided  to  suppress  the  monas- 
teries and  other  like  establishments.  In  1536  the 
smaller  ones  were  suppressed,  and  three  years  later  the 
larger  ones  shared  their  fate.  The  wealth  poured  into 
the  king's  treasury  was  enormous.  Some  of  it  was 
used  for  religion,  some  for  new  fortifications;  but  most 
of  it  found  its  way  into  the  pockets  of  Henry's  minis- 
ters and  friends.  As  it  turned  out,  this  was  the  very 
best  thing  that  could  have  happened.  Had  the  king 
and  his  successors  kept  this  wealth  in  lands  and  goods, 
and  managed  it  with  any  shrewdness,  there  would  have 
been  no  more  appeals  to  Parliament  for  money.  The 
English  king  would  have  been  as  despotic  as  any 
monarch  of  Christendom.  Whoever  obtained  in  this 
way  the  lands  of  an  abbey  or  monastery  became  The 
a  firm  opponent  of  the  Roman  Church,  and  a  sup-  tMs^de- 
porter  of  the  Reformation  in  England.  Many  ^*^"^*^°"- 
of  the  most  important  families  in  England  date  their 
worldly  prosperity  from  this  time.  This  suppression  of 
the  monasteries  produced  another  great  result.  The 
control  of  the  House  of  Lords  passed  into  the  hands 


»» 


il 


io8 


HENRY  VIII. 


[1536- 


of  the  lay  peers.  Up  to  this  time  three  classes  had 
sat  in  the  upper  house,  — the  lay  peers,  like  the  Earl 
of  Surrey,  the  archbishops  and  bishops,  and  the  mitred 
abbots.  These  last  two,  forming  the  spiritual  peers, 
outnumbered  the  lay  lords.  But  when  the  abbots  dis- 
appeared, the  House  of  Lords  took  on  its  modern  shape 
of  a  body  composed  of  the  wealthy  landowners  and 
great  soldiers  and  statesmen  of  England.  And  as  the 
lay  peers  from  this  time  on  increased  with  much 
greater  rapidity  than  the  spiritual  peers,  the  political 
importance  of  the  latter  has  decreased,  till  now  they 
have  almost  no  political  importance  at  all. 

Before  the  suppression  of  the  monasteries  had  pro- 
ceeded very  far  the  cause  of  the  break  with  Rome  her- 
Execu-  self  disappeared.  It  is  possible  that  Anne 
An^nf  Boleyn  may  not  have  acted  with  all  the  dignity 
Boieyn.  bccomiug  3.  quccu.  It  is  more  likely  that 
Henry  had  become  tired  of  her,  and  charged  her 
with  evil  conduct  as  the  easiest  way  of  getting  rid 
of  her.  At  all  events,  in  1536  she  was  beheaded. 
The  king  then  married  Jane  Seymour,  who  lived 
long  enough  to  give  birth  to  a  boy,  afterwards  King 

Edward  VI. 

Meantime  the  Reformation  had  been  making  rapid 
progress.  Everywhere  there  was  great  eagerness  to 
The  Six  read  the  Bible.  Neighboring  families  joined  in 
Acts.  ti^g  purchase  of  one,  and  a  copy  was  kept  chained 
to  the  reading-desk  in  every  parish  church.  In  fact, 
the  Reformation  had  gone  farther  than  Henry  or  the 
great  mass  of  Englishmen  desired  it  to  go.  In  all 
matters  of  doctrine  and  belief  he  was  a  good  Catholic, 
and  refused  to  allow  any  change  in  those  respects. 
His  opinions  were  expressed  in  six  statutes,  called  the 


1539.] 


LAST  YEARS   OF   HENRY  VIII. 


109 


,! 


Six  Acts,   passed   in   1539.     But   Henry  would  allow 
no  persecution,   and  several  times  when  the  bishops 
had  put  these  Acts  into  execution,  Henry  interfered, 
and  released  those  imprisoned.     By  this  time  the  in- 
fluence of  Cromwell,  who  wished  to  go  much  farther, 
had  become  greatly  weakened.      It  had  been  one  of  his 
pet  schemes  to  marry  Henry  to  one  of  the  Protestant 
princesses  of  Germany,  and  thus  bring  him  under  the 
influence   of   German    Protestantism.       Unfortunately 
the  princess  selected,   Anne  of  Cleves,   proved  to  be 
very  ugly.      Henry  was  obliged  to  marry  her;  but  he 
soon  separated  from  her,  giving  her  a  pension.      For 
Cromwell  the  affair  was  more  serious.     Like  Wolsey, 
he  had  been  very  arbitrary,  and  had  made  many  ene- 
mies.    The  king  was  furious  with  him  on  account  of 
the  marriage;  so   he  withdrew  his    favor,    and 
Cromwell  was  declared  guilty  of  treason  by  an   CronT- 
Act  of  Parliament,    and  executed  without  any 
trial.      This    was   done   by  an    "Act   of   Attainder," 
which  was  passed  like  any  law.      It  is  a  little  singular 
that  the  precise  form  this  took  at  that  time  had  been 
devised  by  Cromwell,  and  further  that  he  was  the  first 
to  be  thus  put  out  of  the  way. 

The  king  had  two  more  wives,  —  Katharine  Howard 
(Anne  Boleyn's  cousin,  who  soon  turned  out  to  be  un- 
desirable), and  Katharine  Parr.  The  latter  was  Last 
already  a  widow,  and  was  also  a  woman  of  great  ^^^  ^^ 
sagacity.  She  humored  Henry  in  every  way,  ^"^• 
and  so  pleased  him  by  her  care  and  attention  that 
she  not  only  contrived  to  outlive  him,  but  even  to 
secure  a  great  influence  over  him.  Henry  was  now 
getting  old  and  feeble.  He  had  grown  so  stout  that 
it  is  said  he  could  not  walk.     Every  one  but  himself 


no 


HENRY   VIII. 


[1547- 


saw  his  end  was  soon  coming,  and  a  great  strife  began 
as  to  who  should  rule  during  the  minority  of  his  son. 
The   Howards,   with   Norfolk   at   their  head,   thought 
they  had  the  best  right;  but  the  king's  jealousy  was 
aroused,   and    Surrey  was   executed.      Norfolk  would 
have  followed  him,    had   not   Henry  died  before  the 
time  set  for  the  execution.     The  Howards  were  quite 
opposed  to  all  reform  in  religion,  and  they  were  re- 
sisted by  the  Seymours,  the  uncles  of  the  Prince  of 
Wales,   and    liberals    in    religion.      By  Henry's   will 
and  an  Act  of  Parliament  the  succession  to  the  crown 
was  given  to  Edward,  then  to  Mary,  then  to  Elizabeth; 
and  if  these  had  no  children,  to  the  heirs  of  Henry's 
younger  sister  Mary,  thus  passing  over  the  descendants 
of  his  sister  Margaret,  who  had  married  the  King  of 
Scots. 

THE  TUDORS. 
Henry  VII. 


Henry  VIII. 
I 

^      ^ 1 1 

Edward  VI.  Mary    Elizabeth 


T 


1 


(son  of  Jane  (daughter    (daughter 

Seymour),  of  Katharine  of  Anne 

of  Arragon).  Boleyn). 


Margaret,  married  Mary,  married 

(i)  James  IV.  of  (i)  Louis  XII.  of 

Scotland,  France ; 

(2)  Archibald  Douglas,  (2)  Charles  Brandon, 


Earl  of  Angus. 


Duke  of  Suffolk. 


James  V   of  Margaret  Douglas  m.  Matthew  Stuart,    Frances  m.  Henry  Grey 

Scotland.  RoH  nf  t  ««r.J  ta..i._  _F' 


Earl  of  Lenox. 


Duke  of 
Suffolk. 


Onil^'f  T;  "^"ly^'^V^rt,^  wf  ^*"^'^'  Lady  Tane  Grey  m.Guil-  Katharine ;«. 
c!!!"      I  Darnley.  Earl  of  Lenox.  ford  Dudley  Edward 


Scots 

James  VI.  of  Scotland,  crowned 
James  I.  of  England. 


Seymour, 
F,arl  of  Hertford. 

Edward,  Lord 
Beauchamp. 


Arabella  Stuart  m.  Sir  William  Seymour. 


1 547-] 


THE   SCOTTISH   WAR. 


Ill 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


EDWARD    VL 


1547-1553- 

WHEN  Henry's  will  was  opened  it  was  found  that 
he  had  appointed  sixteen  executors  to  govern 
the  kingdom  during  his  son's  minority.  He  expected 
these  executors  to  act  in  a  very  cautious  way,  so  that 
there  should  be  as  few  chansres  as  possible  when  „ 

^  5  .  Protector 

Edward   took    the    government    into   his    own  Somer- 

set. 

hands.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  very  opposite 
was  done.  The  Seymours  got  all  power  into  their 
hands,  and  the  Earl  of  Hertford,  the  head  of  the  family 
and  uncle  to  the  young  king,  was  made  protector.  He 
soon  made  himself  a  duke,  with  the  title  of  Somerset, 
and  is  known  in  history  as  the  Protector  Somerset. 

Now   Protector   Somerset  was  an  able  man,  and  a 
very  well-meaning  man  too.     But  he  lacked  the  neces- 
sary patience  and  steadfastness  of  purpose  to   ^^^^ 
2:overn  a  £:reat  kin2:dom  in  such  troubled  times.    Scottish 

war. 

His  first  failure  was  in  connection  with  Scot- 
tish affairs.  Henry  had  very  much  wished  to  marry 
Edward  to  his  cousin,  Mary  Queen  of  Scots.  In  this 
way  the  two  kingdoms  would  have  been  united;  but 
the  prejudices  of  the  Scots  had  prevented  the  marriage. 
By  waiting,  these  prejudices  might  have  been  over- 
come; but  Somerset  would  not  wait.  He  sent  an 
army  to  Scotland,  defeated  the  Scottish  forces,  and  so 


>-t«.?ifiijAj>-ifc'g,..-:K..v.  ..■■■ 


112 


EDWARD    VI. 


[1553- 


1553J 


MARY  TUDOR. 


"by  the  manner  of  the  wooing"  disgusted  those  hith- 
erto favorable  to  the  marriage  that  they  sent  the  young 
queen  to  France,  and  married  her  to  the  Dauphin. 

Somerset,  too,  tried  to  push  on  the  reformation  of 
religion  faster  than  people  wished.  Images  were  pulled 
Progress  down,  the  painted  walls  of  the  churches  covered 
Keforma-  "^^^^  whitewash,  an  English  service-book  was 
tion.  prepared,  and  the  Six  Acts  were  repealed. 
There  were  other  causes  of  discontent,  and  the  re- 
sult of  everything  was  a  series  of  rebellions  which 
Somerset  proved  unable  to  suppress.  Dudley,  Earl 
of  Warwick,  now  came  to  the  front.  Taking  command 
of  the  army,  he  crushed  the  rebellions,  and  then 
Somer-    Overturned  Somerset,  making  himself  protector. 

S€t. 

A  few  years  later,  Somerset  tried  to  regain 
his  power,  and  was  beheaded.  Warwick  and  the  other 
executors  now  set  themselves  to  work  to  make  their 
own  fortunes,  regardless  of  the  welfare  of  the  kingdom. 
They  also  found  it  necessary  still  to  press  on  the 
Reformation.  Among  those  who  refused  to  change 
their  religion  was  the  Princess  Mary.  This  made  it 
all   the   easier   for   Warwick,    now   become    Duke   of 

Northumberland,  to  persuade  Edward,  who  was 
Jane       an  ardent  reformer,  to  appoint  Lady  Jane  Grey 

his  heir.  This  Lady  Jane  was  descended  from 
Henry  VIII. 's  younger  sister  Mary.  She  was  a 
Protestant  and  the  wife  of  Northumberland's  son. 
Lord  Guilford  Dudley.  Soon  after  he  had  signed  this 
will  Edward  died  of  consumption,  though  there  were 
not  wanting  persons  who  thought  he  had  been  poisoned. 
The  Lady  Jane  was  crowned  queen,  but  her  reign,  if 
reign  it  can  be  called,  lasted  only  nine  days,  as  will 
presently  be  seen. 


Iin« 


B 


[at 


113 


The   Princess   Mary  had   managed  to  keep  out    of 
Northumberland's   grasp,  and    people  flocked   to    her 
from  all  sides.      No  one  then  knew  what  a  nar-    Mary 
row   and    bigoted  person    she   was.      They   did    '^"'^°'"- 
know  what  a  hateful  person  Northumberland  was,  and 
they  were  resolved  to  deprive  him  of  power.     Then, 
too,   Mary's  right   to  the  crown  was  the   better,   and 
England  was    resolved,   whatever  might    happen,   that 
the  Wars  of  the  Roses  should  not  begin  again. 


ANGEL   OF   HENRY  VIII.,    1543. 


8 


wtanw^Ki 


I  12 


KDWAKh    \l 


fTss: 


-•)5j- 


MARY     IL'DDK 


I  1 


J 


**  l)v  tiK'  iiKimuT  of  lilt-  wooing;"  (lis_L;iist».'(l  those  hith- 
erto fav.'oral)k-  to  the  in:iniaL;e  that  thev  sent  the  youni: 
t|iK'en  to  I'ranee,  and  nianii'd  lier  to  the  I)au|)hi 


n. 


SoiiKTset,  too,    tii«.'(l    to    push   on    the    reh)i"niat  ion   ot 
reliL;ion  hiNter  than  jnople  u  i.shed.      IniaL;\'s  \wie  [)ulle(I 
down,  the  painted  walls  ol  thi-  ehurehes  eoxered 
with    whitewash,    an    haiulish    sei"\  ieed)ook   was 


oi  tin- 
Kilni  m.i- 
tioii. 


l)iei 


»are( 


1, 


;in( 


the 


Six 


Aet 


s    weie     re|)eale 


Hi 


ere    were    oth«.'r   eauses    ol    diseontent,    anc 


I    thi 


re 


suit    ot    everythiUL;    was   a    series    ol    re 
Somerset    prowd    unahle   to   suppress. 


bell 


ions    w 


Dudl 


«.'\ 


hieh 
Marl 


>r  Wnrwiek,  now  eaine  to  ih*.-  Iiont.      TakinL;  eoniniand 
I  the  arniv.  he  erushed  the  rel)».  11  ions,  and  then 


l-all  ..t 


o 


SoiiMi-     oxerturned  Somerset,  makiiiL;  himsell  jHoteetoi 


set. 


A    I 


».'W    \rais    lal«.'r.     .Somerset    tried    to    reLiain 


IS    |)oW^ 


■r.  and  was  beheaded.      W'arwiek  and  the  other 


e.\eeutoi"s  now  set  ihenisclws  to  work  to  make  their 
own  loitunes,  re'L;"ar(IK'ss  of  tlu-  welfaix'  of  the  kin:L;'dom. 
They    also    lound     it    neeessary    still    to   press    on    the 

Amonj;    those    who    i\-fused    to   chanire 


ormat  ion. 


Ref 

their  rrli'-ion  was  thr    IVin 


IX'SS 


M 


ir\' 


ri 


lis  ma( 


le   it 


;ill  the  easirr  h)r  \\'<irwiek,  now  beeome  Duke  of 
Northumberland,  to  persuade  Mdward,  who  was 
an  ardent  reformer,  to  ai)point  Lady  Jane  (irey 
his   heir.       I'his    l.adv   fane  was  descended  from 


l.a'iv 

|.inc 

iirov. 


J  lenry 


\'m 


s     voun-'er    sister     Marv 


SI 


le    was    a 


I'rotestant  and  the  wife  of  Xoithumberland's  son, 
Lord  (luiltord  Dudley.  Soon  after  he  had  signed  this 
will  Mdward  died  of  consumption,  though  there  were 
not  wantini;-  j)ersons  who  th(ni_i;ht  he  had  been  poisoned. 
'I'he  Lady  Jane  was  crowned  cpieen,  but  her  reii;!!,  if 
rei-n  it  can  be  called,  lasted  only  nine  days,  as  will 
presently  be  seen. 


i<'> 


/ 


! 


1  he    Lrinc 


ess 


AI; 


ir 


Xorthumbei-land 


y 


had 


managed    to    keep    out    of 


Masj),    and    people   Mocked    to    her 


Irom  all  sides.  No  one  then  knew  what  a  nar- 
row and  bi-oted  person  she  was.  J'hey  did 
kn(»w  what  a  hateful  perscju  .\(»rlluiml)erland 
they   were   resohed    to  depri\e   him    of   j 


II  V 


-M, 
TiKlor, 


was,  and 


)0\\\'l" 


ri 


t( 


)o. 


.Mary's   ri-ht    to   the   crown    was    the    bett 


er 


len, 
aiul 


I'Ji-land   was    resolved,    what 


e\er   mi-ht 


the    Wars   of   the    h 


liappeii,    that 


OSes   should    not    beuin   ai 


am. 


A\i;i  I.    iM     hi;n  ky    \  III 


543- 


[-Hawvljii.**.  -i**-,  *• 


114 


MARY  THE  CATHOLIC. 


[1553 


CHAPTER   XX. 


MARY    THE    CATHOLIC. 


nPHE  central   idea  of    Queen   Mary's  short  reign, 
A       which  lasted  for  only  five  years,  was  the  restora- 
tion of  the  old  religion  in  England.     She  wished,  not 
merely  to  restore  things  as  they  were  at  the  be^innino- 
Mary's    of  Edward's  reign,  but  to  connect  England  once 
policy,     j^^oj-e  with  the    Roman   Catholic   Church  as   it 
had  been  connected  before  the  time  of  Henry  VHI. 
Parliament,   as  was  usual   in   those  days,   was  in  the 
hands   of   the   sovereign's    friends.       Everything   was 
done  as  Mary  wished,   till   it   came  to   restoring  the 
property  confiscated   from  the    monasteries.      But    so 
many  members  of  Parliament  were  interested  in  keep- 
ing those    lands  in   their   own    hands    that   any  such 
general  restoration  of  the  property  of  the  Church  was 
plainly  impossible.     Mary,  however,  gave  back  what- 
ever the  Crown  still  possessed  of  the  spoils,  which, 
indeed,  was  not  very  much.     Before  long,    Northum- 
berland was  beheaded,   though   he   tried   at   the  last 
moment  to  save  his  miserable  life  by  declaring  that  he 
had  always  been  a  good  Roman  Catholic. 

Mary  then  married  her  cousin,  Philip  H.  of  Spain, 
like  herself  a  strong  Roman  Catholic.     But  Endish- 


'55.^1 


MARY   MARRIES   PHILIP   OF  SPAIN. 


115 


I 


DATED  1554,  BELONGING  TO  THE  SOCIETY  OF  ANTIQUARIES. 

men  were  so  much  opposed  to  this  match  that  Philip 
was  given  no  share  in  the  government  of  the 
country,  and  it  was  agreed  that  England  should  "-ries 
never  be  called  on  to  defend  Philip's  possessions.  Spalr' 


114 


MAKV     lllh:    CATIioLIC 


[»55. 


I 


'55? 


MAK\     .MARKIi:s    I'lllLIP   OF   SPAIN. 


"S 


CI lA rn-R  \x. 


MAKV   riii:  cAriioMu 


:)Dy 


155S. 


T 


1 1 1'   central    idea   of    (  )iK'rn 
which  histcd  lur  only  ti\r  v 


M; 


ir\'  s    s 


hort 
til 


rciirn, 


cars,  was  tlu'  ivstoia 


t  ion  of  the  old    reli-ion   in  j-ji-hnid.      She  wished    not 


ni( 


■rely  to  restore  thin-s  as  they  were  at  the  1 


)eL:innnif'" 


M 


trv  s 


of  {'Edward's  rei-'n,  hnt  to  connect  i-ji-land  on 


ce 


'"''">■•     more    with    the    Roman    Catholic    Ch 


had   been    connected   heloi-e  the  t 


men    as    it 


ime  of   llenrv    \'1 1 1 


Pari 


iament,    as   was    nsnal    in    those   days,    was    in    lh( 


hands    of    the 


sovereiLin  s 


frien 


(IS. 


-\'er\  thin; 


was 


done  as  Alary  wished,  till  it  came  to  restoring;  the 
property  confiscated  from  the  monasteries.  lUit  so 
many  mend)ers  of  Parliament  were  interested  in  kecj)- 
in--  those  lands  in  their  own  hands  that  any  snch 
-eneral  restoration  of  the  property  of  the  Church  was 
plainly  impossible.  Mary,  however,  .i^ave  back  what- 
ever the  Crown  still  posses.sed  of  the  spoils,  which, 
indeed,  was  not  very  much.  l>ef 
berland    was    beheatled,    th 


ore    lonu",    North um- 


'.->> 


ouich  he  tried  at  the  last 
moment  to  save  his  miserable  life  by  declaring;  that  he 
had  always  been  a  -ood  Roman  Catholic. 


M; 


iry  then  married   her  cousin,   Phili{)   II.   of  S 


like  herself  a  str 


ixiin, 


on-   Roman   Catholic.      But  lOn-lish- 


QUFKX     M.\K\     rui)(»R:    II 


DATKni554,  DKLOVGIX 


^•»M    A    I'AIMINC     liv    I^UC-AS 


HK    iri-.KKF:. 


r.  To  Till-;  SOCIKTV  UI    A\H<)L^\Ki 


KS. 


men  were  so  much 


was  i^rivcn  no  share  in  the 


opposed  to  this  match  that   Phil 


IV 


<» 


overnment   of  th 


country,  and  it  was  a-reed  that   Pai-land  should 
never  be  called  on  to  defend  Phil 


She 
iiiairifs 


ip  s  l)ossessions.   spaii 


lilip  111 


ii6 


^ 


MARY  THE  CATHOLIC. 


['555- 


It  could  hardly  be  expected  that  the  friends  of  the 
Reformation  would  stand  idly  by  and  make  no  attempt 
to  stop  these   proceedings.      A  rebellion  broke 
>n  out,    and   was    put  down   with   some   difficulty. 

'  The  rebels  designed  placing  Anne  Eoleyn's 
daughter,  the  Princess  Elizabeth,  on  the  throne.  But 
so  prudent  had  been  her  conduct,  guided  as  she  was  by 
William  Cecil,  that  she  could  not  be  connected  directly 
with  the  plot,  from  whose  success  she  would  have  been 
the  chief  gainer.  For  the  remainder  of  Mary's  reign, 
however,  she  was  kept  a  close  prisoner  at  Woodstock. 
The  unfortunate  Lady  Jane  Grey  and  her  husband  did 
not  fare  so  well.  Although  but  seventeen  years  of 
age.  Lady  Jane  Grey  was  executed,  and  within  a  few 
days  at  least  eighty  persons  were  hanged  in  London 
alone. 

Her  rivals  being  thus  killed  or  imprisoned.  Queen 
Mary  thought  she  could  with  safety  coerce  the  people 
The  o^  England  into  becoming  good  Roman  Catho- 
martyrs.  jj^g^  qj.  bum  them  if  they  resisted  or  refused. 
It  was  easy  enough  to  get  Parliament  to  pass  laws  by 
which  this  might  be  done  legally,  though  Parliament 
probably  never  once  dreamed  of  the  length  to  which 
bigotry  would  be  carried.  The  Pope,  on  his  side, 
gave  way  a  little,  and  received  England  back  into  the 
bosom  of  the  Roman  Church,  though  the  Church  lands 
were  not  restored.  The  most  notable  victim  of  this 
persecution  was  Archbishop  Cranmer,  who  had  pre- 
sided at  the  trial  at  which  Mary's  mother  was  divorced 
from  King  Henry.  Cranmer  was  now  a  feeble  old  man, 
and  to  the  feebleness  of  age  might  perhaps  be  attributed 
his  brief  submission  to  the  Pope.  But  it  did  not  last 
lon^:;  and  when  the  time  came  for  him  to  make  his  con- 


1558.] 


MARY  S   DEATH. 


117 


fession  in  a  public  manner,  he  recanted  everything,  and 
declared  his  unworthy  right  hand,  which  had  written 
the  letter  of  submission,  should  be  the  first  part  of 
him  to  be  burned,  and  so  indeed  it  was.  The  other 
bishops  burned  were  Hooper,  Rogers,  Ridley,  and 
Latimer.  The  last  two  were  burned  at  the  same  time ; 
and  it  is  related  that  as  the  fires  were  lighted,  Latimer 
said  to  his  companion :  "  Play  the  man.  Master  Ridley ; 
we  shall  this  day  light  such  a  candle  in  England  as  by 
the  grace  of  God  never  shall  be  put  out."  He  was 
right ;  for  to  these  and  other  similar  burnings  was  due, 
more  than  to  any  other  one  thing,  the  permanent  sever- 
ance of  England  from  the  Roman  Church.  In  all, 
more  than  two  hundred  persons  were  burned.  When 
compared  with  similar  persecutions  on  the  Continent, 
these  numbers  seem  small,  and  it  must  always  be  re- 
membered that  it  was  a  time  of  great  bitterness  of 
feeling;  and  that  we  know  of  these  persecutions  mainly 
through  writers  who  were  disposed  to  make  the  most 
of  everything  which  was  to  the  disadvantage  of  the 
Roman  Catholics  and  Mary.  It  is  certain,  at' any  rate, 
that  the  people  of  England  did  not  at  all  like  such 
proceedings,  and  that  nothing  did  more  to  make  Eng- 
lishmen into  Protestants  than  these  same  burnings 
and  other  cruel  punishments. 

In  fact,  Mary  is  to  be  pitied  as  well  as  blamed.  She 
was  personally  so  unattractive  that  Philip  soon  left  her 
to  look  after  his  own  affairs  on  the  mainland.  Mary's 
No  child  was  born  to  them,  and  it  soon  became  ^^^^• 
evident  that  the  time  was  not  far  off  when  Mary's 
diseased  body  and  mind  would  pass  away,  and  her 
hated  Protestant  sister  Elizabeth,  Anne  Boleyn's 
daughter,    become   queen.      To  add  to  these  misfor- 


^i^ljE^^L.^ 


Ii8 


MARY   THE   CATHOLIC. 


[1558. 


tunes,  in  spite  of  the  agreement  made  when  Philip  and 
Mary  were  married,  England  became  involved  in  war 
with  France;  and  in  the  course  of  that  war  Calais  was 
captured  by  the  French,  and  never  after  regained  by 
the  English.  Whatever  else  she  was,  Mary  was  a  true 
Englishwoman  and  a  Tudor,  and  she  once  said  that  if 
any  one  could  take  out  her  heart  and  look  at  it,  the 
name  of  Calais  would  be  found  written  on  it.  This 
blow,  added  to  her  other  griefs,  was  too  much  for  her, 
and  the  worn-out,  wretched,  and  almost  insane  woman 
died. 


A   MOUNTED   SOLDIER:   FROM   A   BROADSIDE  PRINTED   IN    1596. 


. 


1558.] 


CHARACTER   OF  THE   REIGN. 


119 


CHAPTER  XXL 


ELIZABETH. 


1558-1603. 

IT  has  been  customary  to  speak  of  Queen  Mary  as 
''  Bloody  Mary,"  and  of  Queen  Elizabeth  as  "  Good 
Queen  Bess."     The  truth  is  that  they  were  very  much 
alike.     Both  were  cunning,  deceitful  women,  Elizabeth 
being  by  far  the  abler.       Mary  was  almost   of 
necessity  a  believer  in  the  Pope's   supremacy,  terofthe 
while  all  Elizabeth's   interests  pointed   in   the  '^^'^"' 
other  direction.      In  religion,  apart  from  this  question 
of  the  supremacy  of  the  Pope,  Elizabeth  seems  to  have 
thought   herself  a  good    Catholic.     She  had  no  sym- 
pathy with  those  who  wished  even  a  moderate  refor- 
mation of  the  church  service.     During  the  first  part 
of  her  reign,  at  all  events,  she  had  religious  service 
in  her  chapel  with  all  the  ceremonies  of  the  Roman 
Catholic   Church.     But  she  was  determined    that  the 
Church   of   England   should    be    separated   from    the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  as  it  had  been  separated  in 
the  time  of  Henry  VHI.     Elizabeth  inherited  from  her 
father  all  his  great  powers  of  government  and  of  state 
management.      Like  him,  she  knew  how  to  surround 
herself  with  strong,  able  men,  and,  like  him,  she  knew 
how  to  place  on  their  shoulders  the  responsibility  of 
questionable  or  unpopular  actions.      In  her  dealings 
with  the  Parliament  and  with  the  nation  she  was  as 


liriAJAJM^iiaifaSfeMSiav.  :agiiAa..^i»tov-,.^-.^  j.-..  .^  <.,  7vi 


li8 


MAkV    HIE   CATiluLlC. 


[• 


:>:> 


.>. 


tunes,  in  spite  ot  the  a,L;reeiiient  niade  when  Philij)  and 
Alary  were  married,  I'j\i;land  became  mvohed  in  war 
with  P'lance;  and  in  the  course  of  that  war  Cahiis  was 
captun-d  l)y  the  I^'rench,  and  never  after  re-ained  by 
the  Pji-lisii.  Whatexer  else  she  was,  Marv  was  a  true 
I'Ji.L:;lish woman  and  a  I'udor,  and  she  once  said  that  if 
any  one  could  take  out  her  heart  and  look  at  it,  the 
name  of  Calais  would  be  found  written  on  it.  Tiiis 
blow,  added  to  her  other  i;riefs,  was  too  much  for  hei", 
and  the  worn-out,  wTctched,  and  almost  insane  woman 
(lied. 


A    MtUNTKI)    SOLDII.R:    I  ROM    A    r.ROADSIDE    I'KINTED    IN     1 51/). 


i55'^d 


("iiARAcrKR  OF   riii:  rkicx, 


no 


chaiti:r  XXI. 


ELIZABETH. 


1558-1603. 

IT  has  been  customary  to  speak  of  Queen   Alary  a> 
''Bloody  Alary,"  and  of  Oueen  b:iizabeth  as  "Gootl 
(Jueen   JV'ss."     The  truth  is  that  they  were  very  much 
alike.      \\(A\\  were  cunnin--,  deceitful  women,  b:iizabeth 
beini;  by  far  the  abler.       Mary   was   ahiiost    of 
necessity  a  believer  in  the   Pope's    supremacy,  tc^'onho 
while  all    r:iizabeth's    interests   pointed    in    the  """"* 
other  direction.      In  reli-ion,  apart  from  this  question 
of  the  supremacy  of  the  r()])e,  I^izabeth  seems  to  have 
thou.i;-ht    herself  a  good    Catholic.      She  had    no  sym- 
pathy with   those  who  wdshed   even  a  moderate  refor- 
mation of  the   church  service.      During-  the  first  part 
of  her   reign,  at   all   events,  she   had  religious  service 
in   her  chapel  with  all   the  ceremonies  of  the   Roman 
Catholic    Chtirch.      I^ut  she  was  determined    that  the 
Church    of    l^igland    should    be    sejxarated    from     the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  as  it  had  been  separated   in 
the  time  of  Henry  VHI.     r:iizabeth  inherited  from  her 
father  all  his  great  powers  of  government  and  of  state 
management.      Like  him,  she  knew  how  to   surround 
herself  wnth  strong,  able  men,  and,  like  him,  she  knew 
how  to  place  on  their  shoulders  the  resi^onsibility  of 
questionable   or   unpopular  actions.      In    her   dealin^'-s 
with   the  Parliament  and  with  the   nation  she  was  as 


■W->jw^,   - 


"■   -  --  ■aufejjaiiBH-^M^'  •^ 


I20 


ELIZABETH. 


1 1 558. 


1558-] 


WILLIAM   CECIL,   LORD   BURLEIGH. 


121 


QUEEN    ELIZABETH   IN    1 588  :     AFTER   A   DRAWING   BY 

ISAAC  OLIVER. 


li 


*  i 


J 


H. 


^- 


arbitrary  as  her  father  had  been,  but  she  also  knew 
when  to  yield.  Her  reign,  therefore,  was  one  of  the 
most  successful,  if  not  the  most  successful,  in  English 
history.  A  moderate  reformation  was  effected  in  the 
Church,  though  her  refusal  to  go  a  step  farther  pre- 
vented that  Church  from  ever  becoming  national  ex- 
cept in  name,  and  gave  rise  to  the  Puritan  opposition, 
of  which  we  shall  learn  more  hereafter.  Then  by  her 
steady  refusal  to  go  to  war,  except  in  self-defence, 
Elizabeth  gave  to  England  a  long  period  of  compara- 
tive peace,  at  a  time  when  great  inventions  and  dis- 
coveries were  coming  into  common  use,  and  while 
England's  commercial  rivals  were  engaged  in  the  most 
destructive  of  all  wars,  those  for  religion.  This  gave 
England  a  chance  to  grow  so  strong  that  when  the 
struggle  came,  as  it  did  come,  even  the  power  of  Philip 
of  Spain  could  not  harm  her.  This  period  of  growth 
also  enabled  England  to  take  that  lead  in  commerce 
and  the  arts  of  peace  which  she  has  ever  since  main- 
tained. Elizabeth's  reign,  too,  is  renowned  as  the  time 
of  Shakspere  and  the  other  writers  of  the  Golden 
Age  of  English  literature.  More  important,  perhaps, 
than  the  progress  in  these  various  directions  were  the 
reforms  in  the  administration  of  the  government. 

Elizabeth  was  undoubtedly  a  great  ruler.  But  she 
had  in  her  service  men  whose  counsel  more,  perhaps, 
than  her  own  powers,  kept  England  free  from  wiuiam 
foreign  entanglements,  and  permitted  the  nation  l^^^^' 
to  work  out  its  own  salvation.  Chief  of  these  Burleigh, 
was  William  Cecil,  afterwards  Lord  Burleigh.  He 
had  been  Elizabeth's  adviser  even  before  she  became 
queen.  To  his  counsel  it  is  probably  due  that  she  had 
held  aloof  from  the  plots  of  Mary's  time,  and  could 


^..i.,....-^  ■•"-'-■'■w--<wjgi^'.M*A.j^t<fc-&'t.j'.w:.tx-iLj*j.i jj<W'-aa&ta-iia<a»iMaai^  f.  va-  >-  'i.^-'  ■fjj.v.-. ; -!<'■«►■■ 


■J»Mi;.J-  f&'r  •tii.-tliAtl,  i»  ..'I 


120 


i:i.i/Ai;i:rii. 


I135S. 


.1 . 


*..it. 


*e%>' 


QIKF.N     M.IZAJ'.FTH    I\    T  5SS  ;      All  I  R    A    DKAWIN*;    l.V 

ISAAC   OLIVER. 


3D 


S.] 


WILLIAM    CECIL,    LORD    r.URLKIC.II. 


121 


arbitrary  as  her  father  had  been,  but  slie  also  knew 
when  to  yield.  Her  reign,  therefore,  was  one  of  the 
most  suecessful,  if  not  the  most  successful,  in  lLn<;iish 
history.  A  moderate  reformation  was  effected  in  the 
Church,  thou-h  lier  refusal  to  go  a  step  farther  pre- 
vented that  Church  from  ever  becoming  national  ex- 
cept in  name,  and  gave  rise  to  the  Puritan  opposition, 
of  which  we  shall  learn  more  hereafter.  Then  by  her 
steady  refusal  to  go  to  war,  except  in  self-defence, 
r:iizabeth  gave  to  luigland  a  long  period  of  compara- 
tive peace,  at  a  time  when  great  inventions  and  dis- 
coveries were  coming  into  common  use,  and  while 
iMigland's  commercial  rivals  were  engaged  in  the  most 
destructive  of  all  wars,  those  for  religion.  This  gave 
England  a  chance  to  grow  so  strong  that  when  the 
struggle  came,  as  it  did  come,  even  the  power  of  Philip 
of  Spain  could  not  harm  her.  This  period  of  growth 
also  enabled  JMigland  to  take  that  lead  in  commerce 
and  the  arts  of  peace  which  she  has  ever  since  main- 
tained. PLlizabeth's  reign,  too,  is  renowned  as  the  time 
of  Shaksperc  and  the  other  writers  of  the  G(^lden 
Age  of  luiglish  literature.  More  important,  perhaps, 
than  the  i)rogress  in  these  various  directions  were  the 
reforms  in  the  athiiinistration  of  the  irovernment. 

PLlizabeth  was  un(loul)tedly  a  great  ruler.  But  slic 
had  in  her  service  men  whose  counsel  more,  ]:)er]iaps, 
than  her  own  powers,  kept  England  free  from  wiiiiam 
foreign  entanglements,  and  permitted  the  nation  j'^^.^' 
to  work  out  its  own  salvation.  Chief  of  these  i^»''cis'i- 
was  William  Cecil,  afterwards  Lord  l^urleigh.  He 
had  been  Pvlizabeth's  adviser  even  before  she  became 
queen.  To  his  counsel  it  is  probably  due  that  she  had 
held  aloof  from  the  plots  of   Mary's  time,  and  could 


122 


ELIZABETH. 


[1558. 


never  be  connected  directly  with  them.  These  plots 
had  always  revolved  about  her,  their  aim  having  been 
to  set  her  upon  her  sister's  throne:  yet  she  could  never 


1558.] 


THE   CALVINISTS. 


123 


t 


•\ 


WILLIAM   SHAKSPERE:    FROM  THE   BUST  ON    HIS  TOMB   AT 

STRATFORD-ON-AVON. 

be  implicated.  If  much  of  this  good  fortune  was  due 
to  Cecil,  as  much  was  probably  due  to  Elizabeth's 
own  cunning  and  power  of  deceit.     Indeed,  no  English 


sovereign  seems  to  have  excelled  her  in  this  ability  to 
deceive.  It  was  partly  born  in  her;  but  the  circum- 
stances of  her  early  life  were  congenial  to  its  growth. 
In  fact,  after  her  coronation,  she  and  Cecil  had  need 
of  all  their  ability  and  shrewdness  to  keep  their  country 
free.  Never  had  the  position  of  England  and  Eng- 
land's ruler  been  more  precarious  than  during  the  first 
thirty  years  of  this  reign. 

The  hardest  task  Elizabeth  and  Cecil  had  to  face  was 
the  reformation  of  religion.     Elizabeth  was  declared  to 
be  the  supreme  governor  of  the  Church  in  Eng-  The 
land.     Thirty-nine  articles  of  faith  were  drawn  ^Z""'"'^'' 
up,    and  a  service-book  was  put   forth.      This  England, 
last  was  based  on  that  of  Cranmer.     The  service  was 
to  be  in  English.     By  the  Act  of  Uniformity  this  book 
was  required  to  be  used  in  all  churches  throughout  the 
land,  and  no  other  service  was  allowed.      Any  one  not 
attending  the  regular  church  was  fined.     It  seems  that 
Elizabeth    and    Cecil    wished    to   build    up   a   really 
national  Church,  and  to  have  a  form  of  service  that  all 
might  attend.     Thus  the  celebration  of  the  mass  was 
forbidden,  and  the  service  was  to  be  read  in  English. 
This  was  to  please  the  advanced  reformers.     Then,  to 
please  the  Catholics,  the  dress  of  the  clergy  and  many 
ceremonies   disliked   by  the   radicals   were   retained. 
Nor  would   Elizabeth  consent  to  the  marriage  of  the 
clergy.     In  fact,  she  wished  to  take  a  position  between 
the  two  extremes  which  her  father  had  occupied.     But 
the  times  had  changed.     Mary's  harshness  had  TheCai- 
driven   many  to  the  Continent.      There    these  ^^^ts. 
exiles  became  intimate  with  the  Calvinists  and  other 
advanced    reformers.     It   is    important   to  understand 
what  Calvin's  doctrines  really  were,  for  their  influence 


B>j;ttia».2^fcaMa  jfaBi«iirgS5-aAWftJ«ra^lgaMM8lMll»aiT-< 


122 


KM/.  \i.l.!  II 


L»53^ 


•55-^J 


IIIK    (ALVIM^IS. 


J-3 


nt'vrr  br  connrc'trrl  <liirrtly  wilh  lh<ii)  TlK'.-r  |)lnt;, 
had  always  ri'\.)i\r<l  ahmii  hri-.  their  aim  ha\ii)L;  hccu 
in  >ul  her  upon  lin  si-^icr-,  thr.ni.-    \  et  she  eoiiKI  iic\cr 


WIII.IAM    MIAKMTKI-:     IUmM     lin:    ]:\'>y   ,  ,S    His   T,>M\:     \| 

SI  K A  I  I  (iKD-'  "N-  W'l  »V 

he  inipiicatod.  If  much  of  this  -(mhI  fortune  was  chic 
to  Cr.il.  as  miieh  was  piohahly  (hie  t<>  IJi/ahcth's 
uwu  ciinnin-aud  powiT  of  deceit.      Tiuleed,   no  lavlish 


s()\eiei,i;ii  seems  to  have  excelled  her  in  this  ahilit\  to 
deceue.  it  was  partly  horn  in  her;  hut  the  circum 
stances  ol  her  early  lile  were  con-enial  to  it.s  ,L;i<»wth. 
In  lact,  alter  hei-  coionatioii,  she  and  Cecil  had  need 
ol  all  their  a!)ility  and  shrewdness  to  keep  theii"  country 
free.  \e\er  had  the  position  of  I-ji-land  and  I'JIl;- 
land"s  ruler  been  more  precarious  than  duriim  the  first 
thirt\-  )eais  of  this  reii;n. 

The  hardest  task  hdi/abeth  and  Cecil  had  to  face  was 
the  relormation  of  reli-ion.      i'di/abeth  was  declai-ed  to 
be  the  sui)reme  -oxernor  of  the  C  lunch  in   hai--    iik. 
land.      'Idiirtv-nine  articles  of  faith  were  drawn  *,'"'"'' 
U|),    and   a   serviced:)ook    was    j)ut    forth.       This  ''-'v^'-i'ifJ- 
last  was   based   on   that  ol    Cranmei-.      The   serxice  was 
to  be  in  hai-lish.       Hy  tlu'  Act  of  Uniformity  this  book 
was  rec[uired  to  be  used   in  all  churches  throughout  the 
land,  and  no  other  ser\ice  was  allowed.      v\ny  one  not 
attending;-  the  rei^ular  church  was  fined.      It  seems  that 
Elizabeth     and     Cecil     wished     to    build     up    a    really 
national  Church,  and  to  ha\e  a  form  of  service  that    all 
mii;ht   attend.      Huis  the   celebration  of  the   mass  was 
forbidden,  and   the  ser\'ice  was   to  l)e  read    in    l'jiL;lish. 
This  was  to  please  the  advanced  reformers.      Then,  to 
please  the  Catholics,  the  dress  ol    the  clei'L;y  and  many 
ceremonies    disliked    by    the    radicals    were    retained. 
Xor  would    Idi/.abeth   consent   to  the   marriage  of  the 
clerL;y.      In  fact,  she  wished  to  take  a  jxtsition  between 
the  two  extremes  which  her  father  had  occu])ie(l.      Hut 
the  times  had  chanL;e(l.      Mary's   harsliness   had    ri,(. Cai- 
driven    many  to  tlu'    C/ontinent.       There    these  ""'^'"• 
exiles   became   intimate  with   the  Calvin ists  and   other 
adv^anced    reformers.      It    is    important    to    understand 
what  Calvin's  doctrines  really  were,  for  theii-  inHuencc 


^A-  "-^UdiUMIlMa 


kMIUMffMIIWMfc.a 


^.T»z~.ir.:Li,.ui-....«^  ^.  -Mms-tittiVKiSiMvfimmK^Sum 


124 


ELIZABETH. 


[1559 


1 559- J 


THE   ROMAN   CATHOLICS. 


12S 


upon    England,  and  upon    our  own  country  also,   has 
been  immense. 

First  of  all,  Calvin  was  a  religious  reformer.     As 
such  he   went   far  beyond   Luther   in   his   plans,    and 
wished  to  throw  away  all  the  ceremonies  and  associa- 
tions which  had  grown  up  around  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  except  such  as  were  commanded  in  the  Scrip- 
tures.    But  it  is  as  a  social  reformer  that  he  is  more 
interesting  to  us.      He  desired  to  remodel  society,  so 
that  it  might  represent  the  society  described  in  the  Old 
Testament.     He  thus  introduced  a  form  of  government 
which  was  then  new  in  Europe.      He  thought  that  all 
society,  whether  in  church  or  state,  should  be  founded 
on  the  individual   man.      He   believed   that   the  best 
form  of  government  would  be  obtained  through  men 
collected  in  congregations,  and  through  congregations 
governed  by  elected  councils.     The  heads  of  a  Church 
founded  on  this  model  would  be  supreme  in  the  land. 
They  could  explain  the  law  of  God  to  king  or  peasant. 
The  power  of  these  men  proceeded  from  below,  and  the 
historian  John  Richard  Green  has  therefore  said:  "It 
is  in  Calvinism  that  the  modern  world  strikes  its  roots; 
for  it  was  Calvinism  that  first  revealed  the  dignity  of 
man."     This  equality  of  baron  and  shoemaker  before 
the  law  of  God  and  man  is  the  basis  of  all  democratic 
society;  but  it  is  really  incompatible  with  monarchy. 
Now  these  ideas  of  Calvin  were  being  introduced  into 
England  by  the  reformers  returning  from  abroad,  and 
The        numbers  of  men  were  eagerly  accepting  them. 
Puritans,  jj^ggg  men  were  called  Puritans,  because  they 
wished  to  purify  the   Church.      They  regarded  them- 
selves as  good    members  of  the    Church  of  England. 
They  had  no  desire  to  separate  from  that  Church,  but 


' 


\ 


\ 


only  refused  to  conform  to  all  its  ceremonies.    For  exam- 
ple, the  use  of  the  surplice  was  to  them  very  distaste- 
ful, as  it  reminded  them  of  the  Pope  and  their  former 
connection  with  the   Roman   Church.     They  disliked 
many  other  ceremonies  which  were  retained,  but  in  all 
matters  of  doctrine  they  seem  to  have  believed  very 
much  as  did  other  members  of  the  Church.      As  time 
went  on,    other  sects  arose.       Especially   there   were 
some  Puritans  who  went  farther  than  the  great  mass  of 
them  were  then  willing  to  go.      They  refused  longer  to 
remain  in  the  Church,  and  separated  from  it,  and  were 
hence  called  Separatists,  and  were  also  known  as  Brown- 
ists,  from  the  name  of  an  early  leader.     But  the  Puri- 
tans,  whether  merely  Nonconformists  or  Separatists, 
saw  that   in  Elizabeth's  continued  occupation  of   the 
throne  lay  their  only  chance  for  safety,  or  even  for  tol- 
eration of  any  kind.      The  next  heir  to  the  throne  was 
Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  and  she  was  an  ardent  Catholic. 
So  the  Puritans  supported  Elizabeth  loyally,  although 
they  had  persecutions  to  endure  even  under  her.      In 
the  reign  of  King  James  these  persecutions  continued 
and  increased,  and  led,   some  years  later,  to  the  col- 
onization   of    a    New   England    across    the   Atlantic 
Ocean. 

As  has  been  already  said,  the  Puritans  felt  the  need 
of  supporting   Elizabeth,   even    if   she   did   persecute 
them;  and  so  Elizabeth  and  Cecil  felt,  on  their  The 
side,  the  need  of  support  from  the  Puritans,  even   ^^1110" 
if  their  doctrines  tended  to  the  overthrow  of  g-ov-   'i^^- 
ernment  by  king  and  bishop.      It  seems  probable  that 
at  her  accession  two-thirds  of  the  English  people  were 
Roman    Catholics.      Her   changes   in  the   ritual  were 
so  few  that  the  great  mass  of  them  attended  without 


126 


ELIZABETH. 


[1559- 


difficulty  the  new  service.  It  is  said,  indeed,  that 
only  two  hundred  out  of  nine  thousand  priests  resigned 
their  livings.  In  time,  as  the  old  priests  died,  and 
others  took  their  places,  a  gradual  change  came  over 
the  Church,  and  men  almost  without  knowing  it  be- 
came really  Protestant.  But  a  powerful  minority 
remained  true  to  the  old  faith.  To  them  the  divorce 
of  Mary's  mother  had  been  illegal,  and  Elizabeth  was 
an  illegitimate  child.  As  such  she  had  no  right  to  the 
throne.  To  them,  therefore,  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  was 
the  real  queen  of  England,  Elizabeth  being  a  usurper 
whom  it  was  their  duty  to  overthrow.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  the  reign,  however,  it  happened,  fortunately  for 
Elizabeth,  that  her  good-will  was  necessary  to  Philip 
of  Spain,  and  so  she  was  given  time  to  consolidate  her 
power  before  any  further  struggle  came. 

We  have  seen  how  the  Scots  married  their  queen 
to  the  French  Dauphin.  In  1559  ^^  became  king  of 
France,  though  he  ruled  only  a  year.  If  his 
queen  should  become  queen  of  P2ngland  too, 
France,  Scotland,  and  England  would  be  united  under 
one  ruler.  That  was  something  Philip  of  Spain  could 
not  allow,  and  he  offered  to  marry  Elizabeth.  But 
she  could  not  consent,  without  recognizing  the  right 
of  the  Pope  to  grant  a  dispensation.  This  of  course 
she  could  not  consistently  do,  and  the  project  fell 
through.  But  for  many  years  Philip  and  Elizabeth 
remained  the  best  of  friends.  In  1560  Francis  II. 
^^^^  died,  and  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  returned  to 
Queen  of  Scotland.     Before  lono:  she  married  her  cousin, 

Scots.  ^ 

Lord  Darnley.  Their  child  was  afterwards 
James  VI.  of  Scotland  and  I.  of  England.  But  be- 
fore long,   Darnley  was  murdered,  and  in   1568  Mary 


Philip  II. 


1560.] 


MARY,   QUEEN   OF  SCOTS. 


127 


MARY,   QUEEN    OF   SCOTS  :    FROM   THE   MEMORIAL   PORTRAIT 
DONE   IMMEDIATELY   AFTER   HER   DEATH,   AND 
NOW  AT   WINDSOR   CASTLE. 


fled  to  England  and  asked  protection  from  her  kins- 
woman Elizabeth.  Now  we  really  know  very  little 
about  Mary,  except  that  she  was  beautiful,  fascinating, 


126 


KLIZAHKin. 


L'559 


(lirriciilt)'    the    new    scrxicc.       It    is    said,    iiulcctl,    ihal 
1)  two  luiiuli\-(l  out  ol  nine  Ihnii^aiul  j)ricsts  rcsi-iK-d 


nil 


ihcir    Ii\iiiL;s.       In    time,    as    the   old    j)riests   died,   and 
others   took   their   jihiees,  a  .L;ra(hial    ehanL;e   came  o\er 


the   L'hureh,    and   men   ahnost    without    kn* 


»\VinLL"     I 


t    1 


)e 


ame     reall\     I'rote.stant. 


lUit 


a     |)o\veilul     mmoiitv 


remained   tiiie  to  the  oKi    laith.      To   them    the  d 


ixoree 


( ) 


I    M 

11 


try  s  mother  hail   been  illc-al.  and    l-]li/al)eth 


was 


m  illegitimate  ehild.      As  such  she  had  no  ri-ht  to  th( 


ll 
th( 


none 


Totl 


lem,  therc-loi  e 


M 


ir\.  (  )ueen  ol  Seots.  \va' 


e   real    (|ueen  ot    h'n-land,    I'di/aheth    hein-  a  usuri)er 
'vhom   it  was   theii"   dut\    to  o\  eithiow.       At    the    he-in- 


ninL"  o 


f  til 


le  rei-n,  iiowexer,  it  ha|)|)ened,  lortunatid\  for 
I'Ji/ahelh,  that  her  l;'oo(I  will  was  neeessarv  to  riiilip 
ol  Spain,  and  so  she  was  i;i\en  time  to  consolidate  her 
j)ower  helore  any  further  stru,L;_L;le  came. 

We   have   seen    how    the    Siots   mariied   their  (pieen 
to   the    I'|-eneh    I)aii|)hin.       In    I55<)  lu'  heeame  kini;'  of 
I'rance,    ihou-h    he    ruled    oiih    a    \ear.      If    his 


i'ltilip  II 


I' 


(jueen    should    heeome    (|ueen    of    Ijii;land    t 


«  X  ►. 


I' 


ranee,  Scotland,  and    I'!ni;lan(l  would  he  united  under 


one  ruk-r 


That 


w 


IS  somethini;"   rhilip  ol    Spain  could 
not    allow,    and   he   offered    to    marry    I'di/aheth.       j^ut 


Id 


she  coulil    not    consent,  without    recoL:ni/in 


tl 


le   ri-ht 


ol  the  I'ope  to  L;rant  a  (lis))en.sat ion.  'Idiis  oi  course 
she  could  not  consistent  Iv  do,  and  the  jiroject  fell 
throui;h.  Hut  for  many  years  Philip  and  I'di/aheth 
remained  the  best  of  friends.  In  1560  r'rancis  II. 
died,  and    Marv,    (.)ueen    of    Scots,    returned    to 


M 


<>iie.-nof  Scotland.      Hefore  JonLr  shi 


1    1 


>cot~ 


e  married    her  cousin, 


Lord  Darnley.  Their  (hild  was  afterwards 
James  \l.  of  Scotland  and  I.  of  MnL;land.  Hut  be- 
ture    loui;,    Darnley   was   murdered,  and    in    1 56S    Mary 


iOO.J 


.M.\K\.  » )r  i-.i:.\   <>i'   srt/i's. 


ij 


MAin,    lUiKKN    <»!'    SCors:    I  R(J.M     lUV.    MKMORrAI.    I'OKrR.AIi 


IM.M      IMMI  I>l  A  II  I.V    Al   IKK     Hl.lv    DKAIIl. 
.\i  "W    A  I     WI.Mi.SoR   .wsn.K. 


A  .\  I  • 


fled   to    I'aii;land   and   asked    |)rotection    from   her  kins- 


worn 


an     h!li/abeth.       \ow    we    rea 


llv    1 


<now    \er\' 


litth 


about  Ahir\,  e.\ce|)t  that  she  was  beautiful,  fascinati 


n 


.Tt' 


U>.lf?6dKVMI£SNSil^.'«^lAL.*-.AJ».  .:«^art,    V-..HUl^«ri.«AtUMflta.kuaiv. 


128 


ELIZABETH. 


[1568. 


and  inherited  the  Scottish  throne  by  clear  right.  Some 
people  say  that  she  was  an  accomplice  in  Darnley's 
murder,  and  rewarded  the  murderer,  Bothwell,  by  mar- 
rying him.  Others  tell  a  somewhat  different  story. 
She  may  not  have  been  so  bad  as  many  think,  but  she 
probably  was  false  and  treacherous.  At  all  events, 
she  did  not  gain  much  by  coming  to  England.  Eliza- 
beth alone  would  certainly  have  been  a  match  for  her. 
But  with  Elizabeth,  Cecil,  and  Walsingham  leagued 
together  against  her,  Mary  of  Scotland  was  doomed 
from  the  first. 

It  is  not  easy  to  understand  this  part  of  Elizabeth's 
reign.  But  if  a  few  points  are  kept  in  mind,  the  story 
Foreign  will  not  sccm  SO  Complicated  as  it  at  first  sight 
policy,  looks.  As  yet  the  fate  of  English  Protestantism 
hung  on  Elizabeth's  life.  Parliament  urged  her  to 
marry,  or  at  least  to  name  a  successor.  Both  these 
things  she  steadily  refused  to  do.  To  us  looking 
back  it  is  now  clear  that  she  was  wise  in  this.  As 
long  as  Mary  was  the  next  heir  to  the  throne,  she 
was  almost  compelled  to  keep  quiet,  that  she  might 
become  queen  on  Elizabeth's  death.  Elizabeth  de- 
clined, therefore,  to  name  any  one  else  as  her  succes- 
sor, and  either  from  jealousy  or  for  some  other  cause, 
refused  to  name  Mary.  For  the  same  reason  Elizabeth 
was  unwilling  to  marry.  Should  she  marry  a  foreigner 
like  Philip,  there  was  sure  to  be  trouble  of  one  kind  or 
another.  Should  she  marry  an  Englishman,  all  other 
Englishmen  of  equal  rank  would  be  offended.  So  she 
would  marry  no  one,  though  she  held  out  great  hopes 
to  many.  Then  with  regard  to  foreign  relations,  at 
first  sight  her  whole  policy  seems  in  confusion,  Eliza- 
beth doing  this  thing  to-day,  that  to-morrow.     But  she 


1570.] 


ROMAN   CATHOLIC   PLOTS. 


129 


had  a  difficult  part  to  play,  to  keep  on  the  good  side 
of  France  and  Spain,  and  at  the  same  time  to  do  all 
in  her  power  to  hurt  and  weaken  them.     It  happened 
that  the  religious  wars   in  foreign  countries  were  a 
great  help  to  her,  for  they  kept  the  foreigners  so  busv 
at  home  that  there  was  no  time  to  attack  England      In 
France  the  Protestants,  or  Huguenots,  were  struggling 
for  existence,  and  Elizabeth  sent  aid  to  them  in  va 
nous' ways,  though  really  she  aided  them  as  little  as 
possible.     As   long  as   the   Huguenots   seemed  to  be 
domg  well,  she  acted  rather  defiantly  with  regard  to 
Spain.      But  when  the   Catholics  began   to   get   the 
upper  hand  in  France  there  was  nothing  too  good  to 
be  said  to   Philip.      At   last  the  Protestants  of  the 
Netherlands  revolted  against  Spain.     This  was  a  great 
help   to   Elizabeth,    and   she   encouraged    them    with 
money,   for  whose  repayment  she  took  possession  of 
certain  towns.     Beyond  that  she  would  not  go.      So  in 
every  way  Elizabeth  had  to  be  very  careful,  and  the 
Pope  was  not  long  in  adding  to  her  cares. 

Mary   had   hardly   arrived    in    England    before    the 
Roman  Catholics  formed  plots  to  put  her  on  the  throne 
The  earlier  plots  were  put  down,  and  Mary  was 
kept  in  strict  confinement.      But  in   1570   the   CaZi^ 
Catholics  were  roused  to  action   by  a  bull    or   ^^''''■ 
proclamation,  of  the  Pope  of  Rome  excommunicating 
Queen    Elizabeth,    and   releasing   her    subjects    from 
their  allegiance.     Priests  and  emissaries  of  all  kinds 
were  sent  to  England  to  stir  up  the  Catholics  and  to 
recall  the  lukewarm  Protestants  to  their  ancient  faith. 
I  he  nation  was  called  upon  to  take  sides  in  religion 
and  it  took  the  Protestant  side.      This  bull   roused 
against  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  the  independent 

9 


it8bgiii&aA!ae5atis»iate&;. 


:j«!-fe»£jai-ja!;^--jf  ii 


UO 


ELIZABETH. 


[1570. 


spirit  of  the  English  people,  and  England  was  lost  to 
the   Roman    Church.       From  that  moment  there  was 
little  hope  of  recalling  her  to  the  old  faith  by  peaceful 
means.       Plots   were    discovered    to    assassinate    the 
queen,    and  a  panic  swept  through    England.      These 
schemes  were  made,  of  course,  in  the  interest  of  Mary, 
and   Parliament  wished  to  put  her  out  of  the  way  by 
a  Bill  of  Attainder,  as  though   she  were  an  English 
subject.      But    Elizabeth  would   not    consent.     While 
Mary  lived,  she  felt  that  there  would  be  peace.     But  an 
association  was  formed  for  the  queen's  protection,  and 
to  avenge  her  death  in  case  she  should  be  murdered. 
Severer  laws  were  made  against  the  Catholics,  and  the 
fines  against  non-attendance  at  the  authorized  service 
were  enormously  increased.     There  seems  to  have  been 
little  attempt   made  to  carry  out  these  laws   against 
Court  of  laymen.      But  woe  to  the  priests  who  fell  into 
Commis-  the   hands  of   the    Government!     For   them   a 
^^°"-       special  court  was   set  up.     Elizabeth  was  the 
supreme  governor  of   the    English    Church,   and    she 
delegated  a  portion  of  her  authority  to  a  commission 
consisting  of  the  archbishop  and  other  leading  men, 
ordering   them    to    inquire    into  and    punish    offences 
against  the  Acts  of  Supremacy  and  Uniformity.     Be- 
fore this  court  the  accused   person  was  brought,  and 
compelled   to  answer  under   oath  whatever   questions 
might  be  asked  him.     Those  who  lid  not  answer  were 
tortured.     All  forms  of  law  and  all  the  safeguards  of 
English    liberty    were   forgotten.      While   this   great 
engine  of  oppression  was  directed  against  the  Catho- 
lics only,  there  was  little  outcry.     When,  however,  it 
was  later  used  against  the  Puritans  it  aroused  fierce 
opposition.     Neither  the   queen  nor  the   archbishops 


1586.J 


EXECUTION   OF  MARY. 


131 


I 


seem  to  have  cared  very  much  about  a  man's  thoughts, 
but  they  were  determined  he  should  keep  them  to  him- 
self,  unless  they  were  in  harmony  with  the  ideas  of 
the  Church.     This  the  Puritans  refused  to  do.     They 
preached  and  taught  on  all  sides  as  long  as  they  were 
allowed  to  preach  and  teach.     In  truth,  it  was  not  long 
before  the  bishops  silenced  the  outspoken  ministers. 
The  Puritans  then  resorted  to  the  printing-press;  and 
as  nothing  could  be  printed  without  the  consent  of  the 
archbishop,  they  used  a  press  which  was  kept  moving 
about  the  country.     It  seemed  as  though  nothing  could 
stop   these   attacks   on  the  bishops  and   the  English 
Church.      The   most  famous   pamphlets   were   signed 
Martin   Mar-Prelate.      Even  to  this  day  the  name  of 
the  writer  is  not  known,  but  a  man  named  Penry  was 
executed  as  the  author. 

It  had  been  impossible  to  connect  Mary  directly  with 
any  of  the  earlier  plots  to  kill  the  queen.     But  in  1586 
the  Government  was  able,  by  its  spies,  to  prove 
that    Mary  knew  of  a  plan  to  assassinate   her.  doToT 
Whether  the  plot   really  existed   is  not  abso- Qu^Tiof 
lutely  clear.      Some  writers  have  thought  it  was  ^'^°*'- 
merely  a  scheme  got  up  by  the  Government  to  entrap 
Mary.     At  all  events  she  was  convicted,   and,   Eliza- 
beth's consent  having  been  obtained,   was  executed 
What  Elizabeth  had  feared  now  came  to  pass.     Mary 
dishkmg  her  son,  who  was  a  Protestant,  left  her  claims 
to  the  throne  of  England  to  Philip  of  Spain,  and  he,  as 
a  good  Catholic,  set  about  making  them  good.     There 
were   other   and   perhaps    stronger  causes   that   made 
him  attack  England.     Elizabeth  had  sent  aid  to  the 
Dutch;  and  the  English  sailors,  led  by  men  like  Haw- 
kms  and  Drake,  were  endangering  the  Spanish  control 


132 


ELIZABETH. 


[1588. 


II 


of  the  West  Indies  and  the  Pacific  coast  of  America. 
The  English  were  also  beginning  to  found  colonies  on 
the  Atlantic  coast  of  North  America,  though  up  to  this 
time  their  settlements  had  not  been  successful.     So 
Philip  decided  to  send  a  great   fleet  to  England,   and 
with  it   the  army  which,  under  the    Duke  of  Parma, 
had  been  fighting  in  the  Netherlands.      It  had    been 
intended  to  send  this  Armada  against  England  in  1587, 
and  provisions  and    ships   were   actually  gathered  at 
Cadiz.     But  the  English  under  Drake  sailed  into  the 
harbor  one  day,  and  destroyed  so  many  of  the  vessels 
and  so  much  of  the  provisions  that  the  attempt  was  ' 
The  In-   abandoned  for  that  year.      The  next  year,  1588, 
a^!L.  ^^^   Armada  actually   sailed   from    Lisbon   for 
Dunkirk,  where  the  army  was  to  join  it,  and  a 
joint  descent  was  to  be  effected  on  the  English  coast. 
The  Armada  numbered  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
vessels,  most  of  them  large  ships. 

At  that  time  England  had  nothing  properly  to  be 
called  a  navy.     When  the  queen  wanted  vessels  she 
called  upon  the  seaport  towns  to  furnish  them.     This 
was  not  so  difficult  then  as   it  would  be  now,  for  in 
those  rough  days  all  vessels  were  obliged  to  go  armed 
to  protect   themselves   from  sea-robbers    and   pirates. 
So  a  fleet  of  about  seventy-five  sail  was  collected,  and 
with  it  Lord  Howard  of  Effingham,  Elizabeth's  kins- 
man, went  forth  to  meet  the  great  Armada.     With  him 
were  Hawkins  and    Drake  and  others  experienced   in 
fighting  on  the  water.     At  the  same  time  two  large 
armies  were  made  ready  on  shore  to  repel  the  Spaniard 
if  he  should  attempt  a  landing.     The  Armada  was  soon 
seen  sailing  up  the  Channel  in  the  form  of  a  crescent. 
Hanging  on  its  rear,  the  English  cut  off  and  captured 


1588.] 


THE   INVINCIBLE  ARMADA. 


135 


^a!^^5^^^^^^^^k'^^^S?^^^^1V 


SIR   FRANCIS    DRAKE,    IN    HIS   FORTY-THIRD   YEAR:    FROM   THE 

ENGRAVING   BY   ELSTRACKE. 

or  sank  every  ship  that  lagged  behind.  The  Spaniards 
then  anchored  off  Calais.  But  the  English  sent  fire- 
ships   among   them,    and    compelled    them    to   weigh 


132 


KI.IZAI5ETH. 


bs>^^- 


of  the  West   Indies  and  the  Paeific  coast  of  America. 
The  Knglish  were  also  be-innin-  to  found  colonies  on 
the  Atlantic  coast  of  Xorth  America,  thou-h  up  to  this 
time    their  settlements  had   not    been  successful.      So 
Philip  decided   to  .send  a  -reat    Heet  to   I^n-land,    and 
with   it   the  army  which,   under  the    Duke  of    Parma, 
had  been  rt-htin-  in  the    Netherlands.      It   had    been 
intended  to  send  this  Armada  a-ainst  Kn-land  in  1587, 
and    provisions   and    ships   were    actually    oathered   at 
Cadiz.      Hut  the   Kn-lish  under  Drake  sailed  into  the 
harbor  one  day,  and  destroyed   so  many  of  the  vessels 
and  so  much  of  the  provisions  that   the  attempt    was 
.,.,,^,,^.    abandoned  for  that  year.      The  next  year,   1588 
Amuuil  ^^^    Armada    actually    sailed    from    Lisbon    for 
Dunkirk,  where  the  army  was  to  join  it,  and  a 
joint  descent  was  to  be  effected  on  the   Kn-lish  coast. 
The   Armada   numbered    about   one   hundred  and  fifty 
vessels,  most  of  them  large  ships. 

At  that  time   ICn-land   had   nothing  properly  to  be 
called  a  navy.      When  the   queen   wanted    vessels  she 
called  upon  the  seaport   towns  to  furnish   them.      This 
was  not  so  difficult   then   as    it  would   be  now,   for  in 
those  rough  days  all  vessels  were  obliged   to  go  armed 
to  protect    them.selves    from  sea-robbcTs    and    pirates. 
So  a  fleet  of  about  seventy-five  sail  was  collected,  and 
with  it   Lord   M,)ward  of   Kffingham,    I'dizabeth's  kins- 
man, went  forth  to  meet  the  great  Armada.     With  him 
were  Hawkins  and    Drake  and  others  experienced   in 
fighting  on  the  water.      At   the  .same  time   two  large 
armies  were  made  ready  on  shore  to  repel  the  Spaniard 
if  he  should  attempt  a  landing.      The  Armada  was  soon 
seen  sailing  up  the  Channel  in   the  form  of  a  crescent. 
Hanging  on   its  rear,  the  Engli.sh  cut  off  and  captured 


.  5SS.  J 


THE   INVINCIBLE   ARMADA. 


13 


SIR    IK.WCIS     DRAKK,     IN     ]||S    lORrV-THIRI)    YKAR:    1R(»M     110-. 

kn<;r.\vi\(;  i:y  ki.siracki:. 

or  sank  every  shij)  that  lagged  behind.  The  Spaniards 
then  anchored  off  Calais.  Put  the  l-lnglish  sent  fire- 
ships    among    them,    and    compelled    them     to    weigh 


134 


ELIZABETH. 


[1588. 


anchor  and  run  northward.     The  English  fleet  had  by 
this  time  increased  to  perhaps  one  hundred  and  forty 
vessels  of  all  sorts  and  sizes.      But  if  their  ships  were 
smaller,  they  sailed  better.     Besides,  the  English  even 
then  were  great  sailors  and  sea-fighters.     Their  guns 
were  better  aimed  than  were  those  of  the  Spaniards. 
Indeed,  it  seems  probable  that  had    Queen    Elizabeth 
not  been  so  stingy  with  her  powder  and  provisions,  the 
English  would  have  completely  destroyed  the  Armada. 
As  it  was,  after  driving  the  Spaniards  to  the  north, 
the  English  turned  homeward,  and  many  sailors  who 
had  nobly  fought  for  their  country  and  religion  died  of 
starvation  on    the  way  back.     As  for  the    Spaniards, 
many  of  them  never  returned  home.     Trying  to  regain 
Spain  with  their  shattered  ships  by  the  north  of  Eng- 
land and  the  Irish  Channel,  they  were  met  by  a  furious 
storm.      Ship  after  ship  was  wrecked  on  the  coasts  of 
Scotland  and  Ireland,  and  it  is  said  that  of  that  mighty 
Armada  only  fifty-four  vessels  ever  returned  to  Spain. 
The  destruction  of  the  Armada  broke  the  power  of  that 
nation.     The  supremacy  of  the  seas  passed  into  other 
hands.      Even  with  that  supremacy  it  had  been  difficult 
for  her  to  hold  her  vast  empire  together.      From  this 
time  one  possession  after  another  was  torn  from  her 
grasp.     With  the  control  of  the  Channel  in  the  hands 
of  the  English,  troops  could  not  be  sent  to  the  Nether- 
lands, and  the  United'  Provinces  became   independent. 
Another  Protestant  power  thus  arose  in  Europe,  des- 
tined ere  long  to  stand  side  by  side  with  Plngland  in 
the  struggle  for  liberty.      From  the  day  when  Drake 
chased   the   Armada    north    from    Calais,    England's 
power  has  gone  on  ever  increasing,  till  on  her  empire, 
exceeding  in  extent   even  that  of  the  second  Philip, 


1494.J 


"POYNINGS'   LAW. 


>> 


135 


I 


i^ 


; 


the  sun  never  sets.  We  must  now  turn  from  this 
glorious  scene,  and  begin  our  study  of  the  most  objec- 
tionable chapter  in  England's  history,  —  her  misgov- 
ernment  of  Ireland. 

As  far  back  as  the  times  of  the  Normans  there  had 
been  some  kind  of   an  assertion  of   the  right   of  the 
English    king    to    be    considered   the    ruler,    or 
" overlord,"  of  Ireland.     But  the   relations  be-   ings' 

Law." 

tween  the  two  islands  and  the  two  peoples  did 
not  become  close  till  the  time  of  Henry  VII.  It 
was  in  1494  that,  a  Parliament  of  some  kind  having 
been  assembled  at  Dublin,  an  Act,  called  "  Poynings' 
Law,"  named  after  the  English  king's  deputy,  was 
passed.  By  this  law  no  bill  could  be  brought  into  the 
Irish  Parliament  until  it  had  received  the  approval  of 
the  Government  in  England.  Thus  Ireland  was  put, 
as  far  as  legislation  went,  completely  under  subjection 
to  England.  During  Henry  VIII.'s  reign  little  at- 
tention was  paid  to  Ireland,  except  to  give  to  some 
of  the  Irish  chieftains  the  title  of  earl.  But  during 
the  minority  of  Edward  VI.  an  attempt  was  made 
to  establish  the  Reformed  Church  in  Ireland.  The 
attempt  was  a  failure  from  the  beginning, —  partly 
because  the  Irish  could  not  understand  the  service 
in  English  any  better  than  when  it  was  read  in  Latin, 
but  more  especially  because  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  was  well  suited  to  their  habits  and  needs. 
Of  course  the  attempt  was  abandoned  at  the  accession 
of  Mary. 

As  we  have  already  seen,  Queen  Elizabeth  was  deter- 
mined that  there  should  be  one  religion  in  England, 
and  only  one.  She  soon  became  equally  determined 
that  there  should  be  but  one  religion  in  England  and 


eiSJijttewWwtt.-. 


136 


ELIZABETH. 


[1590. 


Eliza- 
bethan 
settle- 
ment of 
Ireland. 


Ireland,  and  that  this  should  be  the  religion  pre- 
scribed by  the  English  Church,  of  which  she  was  the 
The  head.  So  the  Acts  of  Supremacy  and  Uniform- 
ity were  extended  to  Ireland.  Wherever  English 
law  could  be  enforced  there,  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic clergy  were  turned  out,  and  Protestants  put 
in  their  places.  It  was  very  difficult  to  get  good  men 
to  go  to  Ireland,  in  fact  difficult  to  get  any  one  to  go. 
It  resulted  that  in  many  places  the  churches  went  to 
ruin,  and  no  services  were  held  at  all.  English  law, 
however,  could  be  enforced  only  in  a  very  small  part 
of  Ireland.  In  the  rest  the  Roman  Catholic  service 
was  kept  up.  The  Protestant  Established  Church  was 
weak  from  the  beginning,  and  was  an  object  of  con- 
tempt and  hatred  to  the  bulk  of  Irishmen.  Thus  was 
introduced  an  element  of  discord  which  has  lasted  to 
our  own   time. 

There  were  other  causes  of  jealousy.  At  this  time 
Ireland  was  under  the  control  of  three  families,  — the 
Geraldines,  descended  from  the  Norman  P'itz-Gerald; 
the  Butlers ;  and  the  De  Burghs,  or  Burkes.  Now,  of 
these,  the  Butlers,  led  by  Ormond,  were  Protestant, 
while  the  Geraldines,  headed  by  Kildare  and  Desmond, 
were  Catholics.  The  opposing  forces  were  so  arranged 
that  it  was  impossible  for  the  Butlers  to  be  of  much 
use  to  the  English,  cut  off  as  they  were  by  the  Ge- 
raldines from  the  English  part  of  the  island.  It  was 
now  proposed  to  send  over  English  colonists  to  occupy 
a  large  portion  of  the  lands  of  Desmond,  he  having 
relinquished  his  title  to  escape  being  tried  for  treason. 
It  was  hoped  also  that  the  courts  would  find  defects  in 
the  titles  to  much  more  land  held  by  the  Irish.  In 
this  way  it  was  thought  to  make  a  large  portion  of  the 


M 


1 598-1603.] 


ELIZABETH'S   LAST  YEARS. 


137 


island  English.  But  the  first  attempts  were  failures. 
To  take  an  .Irishman's  land  was  to  touch  him  in  the 
tenderest  part.  A.  fearful  insurrection  broke  out  in 
Munster  in  1569,  and  ten  years  later  in  Connaught. 
Both  were  put  down  with  the  greatest  severities  and 
almost  unheard-of  cruelties.  In  the  northern  province 
alone  was  the  colonization  a  success.  There  was 
already  a  colony  of  Scots  there ;  and  Essex,  the  leader 
of  the  English  in  the  enterprise,  was  an  exceedingly 
able  man.  By  1584  the  English  were  supreme  through- 
out the  island,  though  at  a  tremendous  cost  in  suffering 
to  the  Irish. 

When  the  Armada  had  been  driven  away  from  Eng- 
land, Elizabeth  was  already  an  old  woman.  She  had 
reigned  thirty  years,  and  the  men  whose  advice  Eiiza- 
and  help  had  so  far  made  her  reign  a  success  i^^^^  ^ 
were  rapidly  passing  away.  Leicester,  her  y^^'"^- 
favorite  though  incompetent  commander,  died  while 
the  rejoicings  over  the  defeat  of  the  Armada  were  still 
ringing  in  his  ears.  Sir  Walter  Mildmay,  the  founder 
of  the  Puritan  College  of  Emmanuel  at  Cambridge, 
—  the  college  from  which  our  own  Harvard  is  in 
a  manner  descended,  —  died  in  1589.  Walsingham, 
whose  marvellous  skill  in  ferreting  out  plots  had  saved 
P^lizabeth's  life  more  than  once,  followed  in  1591. 
Finally,  in  1598,  after  forty  years  of  service  such  as 
few  men  have  given  to  their  sovereign  and  country, 
William  Cecil,  Lord  Burleigh,  passed  away.  Young 
men  were  now  coming  to  the  front.  Prominent 
among  them  was  Robert  Cecil,  Burleigh's  son.  His 
most  formidable  rival  was  Robert  Devereux,  Earl  of 
Essex.  Essex  was  not  in  any  sense  a  statesman,  but 
he  had  succeeded  to  Leicester's  place  in  the  queen's 


^I 


?! 


138 


ELIZABETH. 


[1598-1603. 


affections,    and  become  her   favorite.     Essex   rapidly 
rose  to  prominence.      In   1596  he  and  Lord  Howard 
of  Effingham  led  a  successful  expedition  against  Cadiz. 
But  Essex  did  not  gain  all  the  advantages  from  this 


WILLIAM   CECIL,   LORD    BURLEIGH,    K.  G.,  152O-1591  ;    FROM   A 
PAINTING    IN    THE    BODLEIAN    LIBRARY,   OXFORD. 

success  that  he  had  expected,  as  most  of  the  credit 
was  given  to  Lord  Howard.  It  is  related  that  some 
time  after  this,  in  1598,  when  the  appointment  of  a 
deputy  for  Ireland  was  being  discussed  in  the  council, 
the  queen  said  something  displeasing  to  Essex.  He 
turned  his  back  on  her,   which   so   enraged  Elizabeth 


1 598-1603.] 


ELIZABETH'S   LAST  YEARS. 


139 


that  she  gave  him  a  sound  box  on  the  ear.  This  story 
may  be  true  or  not,  but  one  thing  is  certain,  that  when 
Burleigh  died,  in  the  same  year,  it  was  Robert  Cecil, 
and  not  Essex,  who  succeeded  to  his  place  and  power. 
The  next  year  Essex  went  to  Ireland  as  deputy. 
There  he  used  his  power  in  a  very  mysterious  manner. 
Exactly  what  he  intended  is  not  clear.  Perhaps  he 
expected  to  create  a  government  for  himself  in  Ire- 
land. Perhaps  he  intended  to  use  the  Irish  army 
against  his  enemies  in  England.  At  all  events,  he 
found  it  necessary  to  hurry  back  to  England  and  try 
to  regain  the  queen's  regard.  But  with  all  her  love  of 
flattery,  Elizabeth  never  allowed  her  personal  feelings 
to  interfere  with  her  duties  as  queen.  Essex  was 
placed  under  restraint.  Gathering  about  him  several 
desperate  characters  (Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  among 
them),  he  tried  to  incite  the  Londoners  to  rebellion. 
The  attempt  failed.  Gorges,  with  the  most  contemp- 
tible meanness,  betrayed  his  friend.  Essex  was  tried, 
condemned,  and  executed  for  treason.  Whether  he 
was  justly  executed  or  not,  Elizabeth  seems  never  to 
have  recovered  from  the  shock  of  his  ingratitude.  In 
1603  she  died,  holding  to  the  last  the  loyal  love  of  the 
English   people. 


I  ->8 


i;i.i/.\i:i:ni. 


[  I  59S- 1  (>o: 


ffe'Ct 


ions. 


and    1 


)cc()mc 


\L'V 


f: 


ivontc 


I' 


sscx    ra 


lo.^c   l(»   proniincncL'.       In    1596    Ik-   and    Lord    II 
ot  l^riinLrhani  k-d  a 


j)idly 


()war( 


lit 


.MiCLcsstui  expedition  a-amst  Cadiz. 


1)111    l':sse.\   did   nut    -ain   all   the  advant; 


iu,cs  ironi   this 


UILIIAM    (I  CM..    1.'>K1»    IMKI.KICH,    K.i 


0-1  ^()I  ;    1  ki>M    A 


IMNIIN'      IN     I'll      i..I.|||\\     I,1I;KAKV,    0.\l-(»KD. 


success  that  he  liad  e\j)ecte(l,  as  most  of  tlie  credit 
was  i;iven  to  Lord  lloward.  It  is  related  that  scune 
time  alter  this,  in  1  5«)S.  when  the  ai)j)ointment  ot  a 
dejHily  tor  Ireland  was  bi-iiiL;'  discussed  in  the  council, 


th 


u'  cjueen    said   somethini;   dis])leasinL;'  to    I"]sse\' 


II 


turned   his  ])ack   on   her,    which    so    enraued    Lli/aheth 


jiMBMimiiiiiyiiM^ 


I59S-I603  j 


i:].i/.\r.i.i  II  s  LAST  \'i:aks. 


139 


that  she  j^ave  him  a  sound  l)o\  on  the  ear.  This  story 
mav  be  true  or  not,  hui  one  thiiiL;  is  certain,  that  when 
l)UrleiL;"h  died,  in  the  same  year,  it  was  Rohert  C'ecil, 
and  not   Lssex,   who  succeeded  to  his  j)lace  and  power. 

The    next    \ear    Lssex    went    to     Ireland    as    deputy. 
There  he  used  his  |)ower  in  a  \ery  m)>trrious  maniiei-. 


I 


xactlv   w 


hat 


he    intended    is    no 


t    cl 


ear 


iVii 


Klj 


)S 


le 


ex[)ected  to  cri-ate  a  L;o\ernment  loi  liimselt  in  ire- 
land.  Perhaps  he  intended  to  use  the  Irish  army 
aL;"ainsl  his  enemies  in  lln-land.  At  all  e\rnts,  he 
tuund  it  necessarv  to  hurr\'  hack  to  ljiL;land  and  try 
to  rej;ain  the  (pieen's  re-ard.  lUit  with  all  her  lo\e  ol 
riatteiN.    hdi/aheth  ne\ir  allmved    her  personal    leelim^s 


to    intcrlen-    with    ln/r    duties    as    (uuu'u. 


1 


ssex    was 


|)lacL-d  under  restraint.  (iatheiiu'^  about  him  SL'X'eral 
desperate  characteis  (Sir  l-'erd inand(»  ( rori;"es  amoni;" 
them),   he   tried    to    incite   the    Londoners  to    rebellion. 


Th 


e  attemp 


t   tailed.      ( 


'i(H"L:,es.   with    the  most   contemp 


tible  meanness,  betraved  his  liiend.  Lssex  was  tried, 
ctnulemned,  and  executed  lor  ti<'ason.  W'hethei"  lu 
was  justly  executed   or   not,    I'.li/abeih    seems    ne\er  t 


have  recovered   from  the  shoek  ot    his   iuLiratitudi 


1 


1603  she  died,   holding'  to  the  last  the  loval  lo\e  of  th 
haii^lish    [)eople. 


( I 


n 


e 


K.aaat''"-       .-'>--•»-■■■- 


I40 


STATE   OF   SOCIETY. 


[1558-1603. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 


STATE    OF    SOCIETY. 


AS  we  have  already  seen,  Queen  Elizabeth's  reign 
was  very  remarkable  for  the  great  material  ad- 
vancement then  made  by  England.  Her  foreign  com- 
merce was  greatly  extended.  The  cruelties  of  the 
Com-  Spaniards  drove  many  (it  is  even  said  one  half) 
merce.  q£  ^^^  merchants  of  Antwerp  to  London.  The 
ruin  of  the  former  city  and  the  supremacy  of  the  latter 
date  from  this  time.  In  Queen  Elizabeth's  time,  too, 
the  port  of  Archangel  was  discovered,  and  a  trade  with 
Russia  opened.  The  East  India  Company  and  others 
like  it  were  formed  to  trade  with  foreign  parts,  and  from 
all  directions  wealth  and  luxuries  poured  into  England. 
There  was  at  the  same  time  a  great  expansion  of  home 
industry.  Hitherto  English  wool  had  been  mainly 
worked  up  outside  of  England;  now  the  cloth  was 
made  at  home.  The  same  was  true,  though  in  a  less 
degree,  of  the  manufactures  of  steel,  and  from  this 
time  on,  the  names  of  Manchester  and  Sheffield  began 
to  be  heard  more  and  more. 

The  country  had  been  so  long  free  from  civil  wars 
that  the  mode  of  domestic  architecture  had  undergone 
Archi-  a  complete  change.  The  turreted  castle  gave 
tecture.  ^^y  ^q  ^^le  hall  of  the  Elizabethan  time.  Chim- 
neys took  the  place  of  the  hole  in  the  roof,  and  the 
master  no  longer  ate  with  his  dependants  in  the  great 
hall, but  withdrew  to  his  parlor,  —  called  for  this  reason 


1 558-1603.] 


ARCHITECTURE. 


141 


I 


a  withdrawing-room,  and  afterwards  a  drawing-room. 
Pewter  dishes  were  beginning  to  take  the  place  of  the 
old  wooden  trays,  though  forks  were  not  common  until 
some  time  after  Elizabeth's  death.     Nor  were  these 


COACHES   IN   THE   REIGN   OF  ELIZABETH.      FROM   "  ARCH.^OLOGIA. 

improvements  in  the  art  of  living  confined  to  the  very 
rich,  for  the  moderately  rich  class,  which  was  now 
coming  into  existence,  enjoyed  advantages  which  had 
been  denied  to  the  wealthiest  of  only  a  generation  or 
two  before.  The  lot  of  the  laboring  class,  however, 
did  not  improve. 


142 


STATE  OF  SOCIETY. 


[1588-1603. 


The  changes  in  agriculture  which  we  have  already 
described  had  gone  on  with  increasing  rapidity.      Un- 
The  poor  doubt edly  one  cause  of  this  was  the  fact  that 
^^^*        people  were  beginning  to  live  very  differently. 
But  the  suppression  of  the  monasteries  had  much  to 
do  with  it.     The  monks  had  been  easy  landlords.     They 
had  taken  care  of  the  sick  and  poor  of  their  district, 
even  going  so  far  as  to  encourage    begging  by  their 
indiscriminate    giving.     All    this  was    now  stopped. 
The  new  owner  of  the  forfeited  monastery  lands  wished 
to  get  as  great  a  return  from  them  as  possible.     Some 
he  turned  into  sheep-walks,  the  rest  he  cultivated  with 
care,  employing,  either  by  himself  or  through  his  ten- 
ants, as  few  laborers  as  possible.     Masses  of  men  were 
thrown  out  of  work.     The  country  became  infested  by 
vagabonds  and  beggars.     Several  remedies  were  tried. 
At    last    it   was    determined   to   make   each    locality, 
whether  called  parish  or  town,   take  care  of  its  own 
poor.      In  this  way  the  old  principle  of  local  responsi- 
bility was  once  more  brought  into  use.     There  were 
other  reforms  in  the  same  direction,  but  this  making 
the  parishes  responsible  for  the  poor  within  their  own 
limits  is  the  most  important.     The  principal  law  was 
passed  in  1601,  and  remained  in  force  till  1834.     The 
immediate  effect  of  the  new  system  was  startling.      In 
the  time  of  Henry  VIII.  some  two  thousand  robbers  had 
been  hanged  each  year.     This  number  was  now  reduced 
to  three  or  four  hundred,  although  the  population  had 
greatly  increased. 

It  has  been  already  said  that  English  literature  was 
carried  to  a  high  point  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth, 
Shakspere  being  its  chief  ornament.  There  was  a 
whole  circle  of  authors, —  such  as  Marlowe,  Ben  Jonson, 


I: 


t.' 


1558-1603.] 


THE   STUARTS. 


143 


Massinger,  Ford,  Chapman,  Beaumont,  and  Fletcher, — 
who  have  never  since  been  equalled,  as  dramatic  poets, 
by  any  similar  group  in  any  other  age.  The  modern 
form  of  prose  fiction  had  not  yet  been  created;  but 
people  were  fond  of  reading  long  narratives  of  imagi 
nary  adventure,  either  in  verse,  like  Spenser's  "Faerie 
Oueene,"  or  in  prose,  like  Sir  Philip  Sidney's  "Arca- 
dia." Sir  Walter  Raleigh  was  not  merely  a  great  ex- 
plorer, but  also  an  author;  and  wrote,  while  a  prisoner 
in  the  Tower  of  London,  his  "History  of  the  World." 
William  Tyndale  produced  in  this  reign  the  first  im- 
portant translation  of  the  Bible  into  English. 

Scott's  novel  of  "Kenilworth"  gives  a  tolerably 
vivid  picture  of  the  society  and  manners  of  the  Eliza- 
bethan period;  but  these  can  best  be  studied  in  the 
actual  literature  of  that  period. 

THE   STUARTS. 
James  I. 


Charles  I. 


Elizabeth,  ancestress  of 
Hanoverians. 


Charles  II. 


James  II. 


I 
Mary  m,  William  of 

Orange. 


James,  the  Old 
Pretender. 


Anne. 


Mary;«.  William  of  Orange, 
King  William  III. 


Charles,  the  Young 
Pretender. 


Henry, 
tiSo;. 


144 


JAMES   I. 


[1603 


I 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 


JAMES    I. 


1 603-1 625. 

IT  was  well  understood  towards  the  end  of  Eliza- 
beth's reign  that  James  VI.  of  Scotland,  son  of 
Mary  of  Scotland,  and  descended  from  Henry  VIII. 's 
sister  Margaret,  would  be  Elizabeth's  successor.  After 
Elizabeth's  death  he  was  proclaimed  King  James  I.  of 
His  char-  England,  and  succeeded  to  the  throne  as  quietly 
^^^^^'  as  had  any  heir-apparent  before  him.  It  is  a  cu- 
rious fact  that  although  he  was  the  son  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  attractive  princess  of  that  time,  James 
was  of  very  disagreeable  and  repulsive  appearance. 
His  face  was  plain  and  foolish,  with  a  tongue  so  large 
that  he  could  not  help  showing  it  all  the  time.  His 
legs  were  very  small  and  weak,  so  that  he  walked 
feebly  and  awkwardly;  and  this  was  noticed  by  the 
people  all  the  more,  because  he  wore  a  thick  padded 
coat,  for  fear  some  one  should  stab  him.  He  was  very 
timid,  and  also  false  and  obstinate,  so  that  he  was  un- 
popular in  character  as  well  as  peculiar  in  his  looks. 
He  had  been  well  educated,  and  had  a  good  deal  of 
learning;  but  he  had  very  little  common-sense,  and 
was  called  by  the  French  minister  Sully  "  the  wisest 
fool  in  Christendom." 

He   was   hardly  seated  on  his   new   throne   before 
plots  began  to  be  formed  against  him,   especially  by 


SIR  WALTER  RALEIGH  (1552-1618)  AND  HIS  ELDEST  SON  WALTER,  AT  THE  AGE  OF  EIGHT: 
FROM   A   PICTURE,   DATED    1602,    BELONGING   TO   SIR   J.    F.    LENNARD,    BART. 


I 


i 


.£sM**:-. 


'44 


IA.Mi:>  I. 


\i 


l)0- 


cji.\rii:i<  will 


JAMI>    I. 


\(t01,-\('^2 


1 


r 


\v:is    \vc 


11 


imdrrstniKl    t()\v:inls    the   ('U{]    of   Flizn 


l)«.lir>   rcii^ii   ihal   Janics  \'l.    ni    Sc<»tlainl,    ^^nll   n| 


Mai\   <»|   Scotland,  and   descended    Irom    llenr\    \'III 


.si>ter  Mai'Liaret,  would  be  Mli/al)elh'>  Mic 


ce.s.soi 


Alt 


er 


l%H/ahet]i's  fleath  he  was  proclaimed  KinLC  Janus  I.  of 
lli>cliar-  l'-n_L;land,  and  succeeded  to  the  tliione  as  (|uietlv 


atter. 


as  had  an\  heir-apparent  helore  hini.  It  is  a  cn- 
ri"Us  lad  that  althou:;h  h.e  wn-  tlie  son  of  the  most 
hcvUitifuI   and  attractive  princess  of  that   time,   James 


was   o 


f    eei 


V  di: 


ihl 


sai;reeat)le    and    repulsive    appearance 


I: 


Ills  face  was  plain  and  foolish,  with  a  ton-ue  so  larL;e 
that  he  could  not  help  .shuwini;  it  all  the  lime.  His 
leL;s 
feehl 


were    \erv 


;mall 
and  awkwardlv 


md    weak,    so   tliat    he   Avalked 


ami 


tl 


lis   was   noticei 


1    1)V  ll 


he 


pcitple  all   the  tiiore.  because   he  wore  a   thick   ])a(lded 


coat,  for  tear  some  one  should  s 


tab  1 


iim, 


II 


I-  was  \erv 


timid,  and  also  false  and  obstinate,  so  that   he  was  un- 
|)oj)ular   in  character  as  well   as   peculiar   in   iiis  looks. 


II 


ha( 


heen    we 


11   educated,    and    had   a    -ood   deal   ol 


iearnini;.  but  he  had  very  little  common-sense,  and 
was  called  bv  the  I'lxaich  minister  Sully  "the  wisest 
fo(d  in  C'hiistendom. " 


U 


w 


as    hardlv    seated    on    his    n 


ew 


tl 


irone 


bef 


ore 


plots   bei^an   to  be  buined   aL;ainst    him,    especially   by 


MR  WAt.TFK   IC  \M  |(,ll      i; 


<l^)   WO   tils  I  I.WI  -  1 


St  IN   \V  \I    1  I   IC 


>  I    Till- 


1  U'  >M     \    ri'    I  II,  I    ,    1 '  \  lEU 


■'.r  III   I  I, ,11 1 


l''«)2,    r.hL()Nt.IN(,    Tl)    -IK     J.     I 


I  i:nn  \ki>,   h  \kt. 


■iji.iiiswt.'a 


146 


JAMES   I. 


[1605. 


the  enemies  of  Robert  Cecil,  his  Secretary  of  State. 
Among  those  who  joined  in  these  plots  was  the  cele- 
brated Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  so  well  known  for 

Exccu- 

tionof  the  interest  he  took  in  colonizing  the  American 
^'^  '  continent.  The  plan  of  some  of  these  conspira- 
tors was  to  dethrone  James  I.  and  give  the  crown  to 
Lady  Arabella  Stuart,  who,  like  James,  was  descended 
from  Henry  V'll.  The  plot  did  not  succeed;  but  it 
gave  the  king  a  great  dislike  to  this  lady,  and  when, 
some  years  later,  she  married  Henry  Seymour,  a  third 
descendant  of  Henry  VH.,  James  thought  her  so  dan- 
gerous that  he  had  her  shut  up  in  the  Tower,  where 
she  died  insane.  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  was  also  sent  to 
the  Tower,  and  lived  there  many  years,  writing  books, 
some  of  which  are  famous.  At  last,  in  1616,  the  king 
released  him,  that  he  might  take  command  of  an  expe- 
dition to  look  for  gold  mines  in  South  America.  But 
James,  with  his  usual  deceitfulness,  let  the  Spaniards, 
who  had  claimed  the  country  where  the  mines  were 
said  to  be,  know  just  where  Raleigh  was  going,  so  that 
the  expedition  was  a  failure.  When  Raleigh  returned 
unsuccessful,  he  was  first  charged  with  misconduct  in 
regard  to  the  expedition,  and  then  the  old  complaint 
was  brought  up  against  him  that  he  had  plotted  against 
the  king;  and  on  this  last  charge  he  was  beheaded  at 
the  Old  Palace  Yard  in  Westminster.  The  king's  real 
object  was  to  please  the  Spaniards,  who  found  in 
Raleigh's  enterprise  a  great  danger  to  their  colonies. 

The  most  famous  of  these  plots  is  known  in  history 

as  the  "Gunpowder  Plot."     James's  mother,  it  must 

be  remembered,  was  a  Roman  Catholic ;  and  be- 

powder    fore  he  became  king  of  England  he  wrote  to  a 

(1605).    prominent  Englishman  of  that  faith,  the  Earl  of 


1605.] 


THE  GUNPOWDER   PLOT. 


147 


Northumberland,  that  when  he  came  to  the  throne  the 
Catholics  should  have  freedom  of  worship.      Perhaps 
he  meant  it  sincerely,  and  for  a  time   the    Catholics 
were  well    treated.      But    the    king   soon    found    that 
there  was  in  England  a  strong  popular  feeling  against 
them,   and    that  he  himself  was    charged   with   being 
at  heart  of  their  faith.      When  he  found  out  this  fact 
he  began  to  deny  that  he    had  ever   pledged    himself 
that    they   should    have    freedom  of    worship,   and    he 
ordered  his  lawyers  and  judges  to  enforce  the  severe 
laws  that  existed  against  all  who  refused  to  attend  the 
Protestant  services.      These  persons  were  called  under 
the  law '* Popish  recusants,"  and  they  were  subject  to 
a  fine  of  ^fso  — which   would  to-day  be  equivalent  to 
$500  — for  each   month   when   they  had  failed  to  be 
present  at    the   services   of   the    Church  of  En-land 
This    severe   persecution    led   to    the   formation""  of  a 
plot,  led  by  Robert  Catesby,  who  belonged  to  one  of 
the  oldest  families  in  England,  to  blow  up  the  Parlia- 
ment House  at  a  time  when  the  king,  lords,  and  com- 
mons should  all  be  there  together.      ^'In  that  place," 
wrote  Catesby,  "they  have  done  us  all  the  mischief 
and  perhaps  God  hath  designed  that  place  for  their 
punishment."     Catesby  had    followers,    of  whom   the 
best  known  is  Guy,  or  Guido,  Pawkes,  and  they  placed 
six  barrels  of  gunpowder    under  the  House  of  Lords 
without    being    detected.       Then,    while   waiting   for 
Parliament  to  assemble,  they  tried  to  hit  upon  a  plan 
by  which  the  Roman  Catholic  noblemen  could  be  kept 
away  from  the  House  of  Lords  and  their  lives  saved. 
But  It  was  finally  left  to  each  person  to  caution  those 
whom  he  thought  fit;  and  thus  it  happened  that  Lord 
Mounteagle,  a  brother-in-law  of  one  of  the  conspira- 


:> 


i 


148 


JAMES   I. 


[1605. 


tors,  just  as  he  was  sitting  down  to  supper  one  even- 
ino-,  received  a  note,  written  without  punctuation  or 
capitals,  advising  him  to  retire  into  the  country  for  a 
time.  "God  and  man  hath  concurred,"  this  strange 
note  said,  "to  punish  the  wickedness  of  this  time;" 
and  it  added,  "  though  there  be  no  appearance  of  any 
stir,  yet  to-day  they  shall  receive  a  terrible  blow, 
this  Parliament,  and  yet  they  shall  not  see  who  hurts 
them."  Lord  Mounteagle  sent  this  letter  to  the  Sec- 
retary of  State,  and  the  very  night  before  Parliament 
was  to  assemble,  a  search  was  made,  and  the  gunpow- 
der was  found,  with  Guy  Fawkes  standing  guard  over 
it.  Fawkes,  on  being  seized,  said  to  the  man  who 
arrested  him  that  if  he  had  only  had  the  chance,  he 
would  have  blown  him  up,  his  house,  himself,  and  all. 
When  taken  before  the  king,  he  confessed  the  truth, 
saying  that  he  meant  to  have  blown  up  king,  lords, 
bishops,  and  all  the  rest.  He  gave  the  names  of  the 
other  conspirators,  and  they  were  all  put  to  death. 
This  made  the  greatest  excitement,  and  led  to  still 
severer  laws  against  the  Catholics,  most  unwisely  and 
unjustly,  for  it  was  the  cruelty  of  the  laws  that  first 
led  to  the  plot;  and  although  the  conspirators  were 
Catholics,  Lord  Mounteagle,  who  foiled  them,  was  of 
the  same  religion.  This  happened  Nov.  5,  1605;  and 
to  this  day,  in  some  parts  of  England,  it  is  the  custom 
to  make  bonfires  on  that  anniversary,  and  to  burn  a 
stuffed  image  of  Guy  Fawkes,  singing  this  rhyme : 

"  Remember,  remember  the  Fifth  of  November, 
Gunpowder  Treason  and  plot ; 
I  see  no  reason  why  Gunpowder  Treason 
Should  ever  be  forgot." 

It  shows  how  long  traditions  last,  that  within  a  few 


1611.] 


THE   PURITANS. 


149 


years,    on    the    banks   of    the    Merrimack    River    in 
Massachusetts,  these  bonfires  have  still  been  made. 

As  the  king  was  always  in  trouble  with  the  Roman 
Catholics,  so  the   same  want  of  frankness   kept  him 
always    in   trouble   with   the    Puritans.      Thev 
presented  to  the  king  a  petition  signed,  as  was  i'untans. 
claimed,  by  a  thousand  persons,  asking  for  changes  in 
the  Church  usages.     As  James's  early  years  had  been 
passed  in  Presbyterian  Scotland,   they  had  reason  to 
think   that   he,  at   least,   would  not   be   a  very  strict 
Episcopalian,  and  would  treat  them  fairly.     On  receiv- 
ing this  petition  he  called  a  conference  between  the 
petitioners  and  the  High  Churchmen,   as  those   were 
called  who  opposed  the  request.     The  conference  was 
held  at  Hampton  Court,  and  the  king  himself  presided. 
From  the  beginning  he  took  sides  entirely  with  the 
Episcopalians,  and  with  the  bishops  who  represented 
them,  and  he  said  fiercely  of  the  Puritans,  "I  will  make 
them  conform,  or  I  will  harry  them  out  of  the  land." 
But  although  the  Puritans  got  no  fair  treatment  from 
this  conference,  the  assembly  had  one  good  result,  — 
an  English  translation  of  the  Bible,  better  than  any 
that  had  yet  appeared.      Forty-seven  clergymen,  it  is 
said,   began  working  on  it  soon  after  the   conference 
was    closed,    and   they  finished   their   work    in    161  r. 
This  translation  is  still  in  general  use  among  Protest- 
ants who  speak  English.    It  is  known  as  King  James's 
version,  and  was  one  of  the  few  good  results  of  his  reign. 
James  I.  had  three  children.     There  was  one  daugh- 
ter,  Elizabeth,  who  married  a  German,   Prince  Fred- 
erick, called  the  Elector  Palatine.      This  marriage  was 
very  important,  as  will  be  seen  by  and  by.      Then  there 
was  a  son  Henry,  who  soon  died,  and  a  son   Charles, 


ISO 


JAMES   I. 


KING   JAMES    I.:   FROM   A    PAINTING   BY   P.  VAN    SOMER,    DATED    162I, 
IN   THE   NATIONAL    PORTRAIT  GALLERY. 


161  I.J 


THE  DIVINE  RIGHT  OF  KINGS. 


151 


for  whom  it  was  necessary,  in  time,  to  find  a  suitable 
wife.  James  set  his  heart  upon  having  a  Spanish  prin- 
cess for  a  daughter-in-law.  But  the  Spaniards  thought 
he  should  show  some  favor  to  the  English  Catho-  «The 
lies,  which  he  could  not  well  do.  Prince  Charles  mT'''' 
and  a  young  companion,  George  Villiers,  Duke  "^se." 
of  Buckingham,  actually  went  to  Spain  to  see  the 
princess.  But  the  match  fell  through.  This  greatly 
pleased  the  English  people,  and  for  a  time  Buckingham 
was  the  most  popular  man  in  the  kingdom. 

One  of  James's  follies  was  a  belief  in  what  used  to 
be  called   "The  Divine  Right  of  Kings."      He  had 
come  to  the   throne   in  defiance  of   an   Act  of  The 
Parliament,    and    merely   because   he   was   the  ^^j^^^f 
nearest  in  blood  to  Queen  Elizabeth.     He  did  ^^"g^° 
not  regard  himself  in  any  way  responsible  to  the  people 
of  England,  but  thought  himself  an  absolute  monarch. 
He  would  have  had  no  such  thing  as  a  Parliament  if  he 
could  have  helped  it.      Fortunately  for  England,  there 
was  no  safe  way  for  a  king  to  get  money  except  from 
Parliament,   and  he  was   obliged   to   call   it   together 
much  oftener  than  he  wished.      Now,  during  the  reign 
of  Queen  Elizabeth,  Parliament  had  been  quite  submis- 
sive on  the  whole,  though  once  in  a  while  some  bold 
member  would  openly  say  what  he  thought.      There 
was  a  feeling  of  loyalty  towards  Elizabeth,  which  was 
not  the  case  with  regard  to  James.     Then,  too,  she  was 
thoroughly  a  queen  in  her  bearing,  while  in  mind  and 
body  James  was  very  far  from  being  the  Englishman's 
ideal  of  a  king.      So  members  of  Parliament  neither 
respected  nor  feared  him.     And  they  soon  showed  their 
independence  by  impeaching  the  Lord  Chancellor,  the 
highest  judge  in  England.     This  was  Francis  Bacon, 
Lord  Verulam,  one  of  the  most  eminent  men  in  the 


i^o 


JAMES    I. 


KINC     FAMT^    [.  !    1K<>M     \     TMNIIVC    I'.V    I'.    VAN'    SoMKR,    f)  ATKP    \Ct2\, 
IN     rill.    N\rh»\\l     It.KIKAir    J.M.I  I- K\ 


161I.J 


Tin:   DIVINE    RKJIIT   OF   KINGS. 


i;i 


for  whom  it  was  necessary,  in  time,  to  find  a  suitable 
wite.  James  set  his  heart  upon  havin<^^  a  S])anish  prin- 
cess for  a  tlaui;-hter-in-hiw.  Jkit  the  Sixmiards  thou-ht 
he  should  show  some  favor  to  the  i':n<;lish  Catho-  .-riK- 
lies,  which  he  could  not  well  do.  Prince  Charles  Jl';'"'"'' 
and  a  youn--  C()mi)anion,  Geor<;-e  Villiers,  Duke  '''^•^''■■" 
of  J^uckin-ham,  actually  went  to  Spain  to  see  the 
princess.  J^ut  the  match  fell  throu<;-h.  This  -Teatly 
I)lease(l  the  I':n«;-lish  people,  and  for  a  time  Jiuckin-ham 
was  the  most  poi)ular  man  in  the  kin';dom. 

One  of  James's  follies  was  a  belief  in  what    used  to 
be   called    "The    Divine    Ri-ht   ot    Kin-.cs."      lie    had 
come  to  the    throne    in  dehance  of    an    Act    of   11,,. 
Parliament,    and     merely    because    he    was    the   \^^^„^ 
nearest   in  blood  to  Oueen    l':iizabeth.      He  did  '^'"■^^•' 
not  re-ard  himself  in  any  way  responsible  to  the  people 
of  JOn-land,  but  thou.L,dn  himself  an  absolute  monarch. 
He  would  have  had  no  such  thin--  as  a  Parliament  if  he 
could   have  helloed  it.      lM)rtunately  for  J':n-land,  there 
was  no  safe  way  for  a  kin-  to  net   money  excei)t  from 
I'arliament,    and    he    was    obli-ed    to    call    it    to.i^ether 
much   oftener  than  he  wished.      Now,  durin<(  the'"rei<;-n 
of  Oueen  hdi/abeth,  Parliament  had  been  quite  submis- 
sive on   the  whole,  thou-h   once   in  a  while  some  bold 
member  would  openly  say  what    he   th()u<;ht.       There 
was  a  feelin-of  loyalty  towards  J'dizabeth,  which  was 
not  the  case  with  re.icard  to  James.      Then,  too,  she  was 
thorou<;hly  a  queen  in  her  bearin-    while   in  mind  and 
body  James  was  very  far  from  bein-  the   lui-li.shman's 
ideal  of  a  kini;.      So  members  of   Parliament   neither 
respected  nor  feared  him.     And  they  soon  showed  their 
independence  by  impeachini^  the  Lord  Chancellor,  the 
hi-hest   jud-e  in    lui-land.      This   was  Francis  llacon, 
Lord    Verulam,  one  of   the  most   eminent   men    in   the 


^t'^'iSMll^iS 


15^ 


JAMES  I. 


[1621. 


nation,  and  one  of  the  few  really  great    men    whom 

James  had  about  him.     He  was  charged  with  taking 

bribes,  and  confessed  to  having  received  presents  from 

^  those  whose  cases  were  being  tried  before  him. 

Impeach-  " 

mentof  He  was  declared  guilty  by  the  House  of 
Lords,  and  sentenced  to  fine  and  imprison- 
ment, from  both  of  which  he  was  almost  entirely 
excused  by  the  king;  but  he  spent  the  rest  of  his 
life  in  retirement.  It  must  be  remembered  in  his 
behalf  that  the  practice  of  taking  bribes  was  then 
almost  universal;  and  he  was  perhaps  right  when  he 
claimed  to  have  been  the  most  honest  lord  chancellor 
for  many  years. 

The  House  of  Commons  also  turned  its  attention  to 
foreign  affairs,  and  informed  the  king  that  it  was  not 
safe  for  the  nation  to  have  a  Catholic  queen, 
Great  as  might  be  the  case  if  his  son  should  marry  a 
tion^''  "  Catholic  princess.  James  became  very  angry, 
^'^^^^'  and  called  it  an  assembly  of  five  hundred  kings. 
He  bade  the  Commons  not  to  meddle  with  the  "mys- 
teries of  state,"  and  threatened  even  to  imprison  some 
of  them  in  the  Tower  of  London.  The  commoners 
had  often  listened  to  this  sort  of  language  from  Queen 
Elizabeth.  But  they  now  drew  up  the  "Great  Pro- 
testation," claiming  that  the  king's  view  of  his  own 
powers  was  quite  wrong.  They  declared  "their  liber- 
ties and  privileges  to  be  the  undoubted  birthright  of 
the  subjects  of  England."  They  asserted  also  that 
they  had  a  clear  right  to  inquire  into  anything  that 
concerned  the  public  good.  This  enraged  the  king  so 
much  that  he  dissolved  Parliament,  and  sending  for 
their  records,  tore  out  this  "  Protestation "  with  his 
own  hands.     A  few  years  later  he  died. 


1625.] 


THE  FRENCH  MARRIAGE. 


153 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 


CHARLES    I. 


1 62  5- 1 649. 

A  S  soon  as  matters  could  be  properly  arranged,  the 
^rS.  new  king  married  the  Princess  Henrietta  Maria 
of  France.  She  was  a  sister  of  the  French  king,  and 
daughter  of  that  Henry  IV.  portrayed  by  Macaulay  in 
the  ballad  of  the  "Battle  of  Ivry."  But  Henry  The 
IV.  had  turned  Catholic  in  order  to  become  ^'"^"^^ 
king,  and  Henrietta  Maria  had  grown  up  to  be^^s^'^^^ 

„  A.    '    A.     r^    .1      1'  /-.,  war  with 

a  very  strict   Catholic.     She  was  accompanied  France, 
to  England  by  several  priests,  who  often  advised  her 
very  ill.       One  day  she  went  with  them  to  Tyburn 
Hill,  and  prayed  to  some  of  the  Roman  Catholics  who 
had  formerly  been  put  to  death  there,  as  if  they  were 
saints  and  martyrs.     This  Charles   considered  an  in- 
sult to  him  and  to  his  whole  nation.     Again,  she  re- 
fused, under  the  advice  of  her  priests,  to  be  crowned 
by  the  Archbishop  of   Canterbury,    as  the  king  had 
been.     This  enraged  Charles  above  all,  and  he  ordered 
Buckingham  to  send  every  one  of  the  French  priests 
out  of  the  kingdom.     He  said,   "If  you  can,  by  fair 
means;  but  stick  not   long  in  disputing.      Otherwise 
force   them  away,   driving   them   like   so   many  wild 
beasts."     This  sending  away  the  priests  was  against 
the  marriage  agreement,  and  so  the  French  king  made 
war  against  England. 


) 


I- J,  I     *  .A^^^n^m^ZS 


{JfrWlAte.' -MlKMtMJl 


154 


CHARLES   I. 


[1628. 


It  seemed  to  Charles  and  his  favorite,  Buckingham, 
that  the  best  way  to  carry  on  the  war  was  to  help  the 
Attempt  French  Protestants,  or  Huguenots,  against  their 
to  relieve  ]^[^q-.      The  stronghold  of  the  Huguenots  was  at 

La  Ro-  o  "-^ 

cheiie.  La  Rochelle,  a  fortified  city  on  the  sea-coast; 
and  the  Duke  of  Buckingham  led  a  great  expedition 
to  the  relief  of  that  place  when  it  was  besieged  by 
Cardinal  Richelieu. 

This  enterprise  was  at  first  popular;  and  though  it 
cost  a  great  deal  of  money,  this  would  have  been  joyfully 
given,  had  the  English  people  felt  confidence  in 
of  Right  Buckingham.  For  want  of  this  confidence,  the 
(162S).  j^Q^g^  q£  Commons  refused  to  provide  the  neces^ 
sary  funds  unless  he  was  dismissed.  Charles  was  angry, 
dissolved  Parliament,  tried  in  vain  to  raise  money  on  his 
own  responsibility,  and  then  called  Parliament  together 
once  more  in  March,  1628.  But  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, instead  of  voting  money,  drew  up  a  paper  called 
the  "Petition  of  Right."  This  paper,  which  received 
the  consent  of  the  Peers,  asserted  the  following  prin- 
ciples: First,  that  no  English  subject  could  be  com- 
pelled to  pay  any  tax  whatever  without  the  consent  of 
Parliament ;  secondly,  that  no  one  could  be  imprisoned 
without  cause  shown;  thirdly,  that  no  one  could  be 
compelled  to  receive  soldiers  or  sailors  into  his  house; 
and  fourthly,  that  no  one  could  be  tried  by  martial  law 
in  time  of  peace.  All  these  things  had  been  done  by 
the  king;  and  for  him  to  surrender  the  right  to  do 
them  was  to  give  up  a  great  deal  of  what  he  and  his 
father  before  him  had  regarded  as  kingly  power.  But 
his  need  of  money  was  desperate,  and  the  House  of 
Commons  held  the  purse;  so  at  last,  most  unwillingly, 
he  consented  to  the  petition.     Even  then  he  tried  to 


1628.] 


PETITION   OF  RIGHT. 


I 


155 


soften  the  fall  by  giving  his  consent  in  an  unusual 
way.  But  the  Commons  were  not  to  be  put  off  in  this 
manner,  and  at  once  set  about  adding  an  additional 
document,    called  a  Remonstrance,   or   Statement,   of 


KING   CHARLES   I.  :   FROM   A   PAINTING  BY  VAN    DYCK. 

Grievances.  Then  the  king  sent  them  a  message  in- 
forming them  that  it  was  their  business  to  vote  money, 
and  not  to  draw  up  remonstrances.  Then  followed 
some  bold  debates,  in  which  Sir  John  Eliot  was  begin- 
ning to  say  something  against  the  Duke  of  Bucking- 


154 


CHARLES    I. 


[162S. 


Tt  seemed  to  Charles  and  his  favorite,  Buckingham, 
that  tile  l)est  way  to  carry  on  tlie  war  was  to  help  the 
Atun.pt  I^ench  Protestants,  or  1  lu-uenots,  against  their 
tortiievc  j^iij...  'l^he  stronghold  of  tlie  Huguenots  was  at 
chciic.  I  .^  Rochelle,  a  fortified  city  on  the  sea-coast; 
and  the  Duke  of  lUickingliam  led  a  great  e.\i)edition 
to  the  relief  of  that  i)lace  when  it  was  besieged  by 
Cardinal    Richelieu. 

This  enterprise  was  at   first   popular;  and  though  it 

cost  a  irreat  deal  of  monev,  this  would  have  been  joytully 

-iven,  had  the  I'Jiglish  people  felt  confidence  in 

I'ctiti..R       •->  '  -^  '  ,         ,     .  ,     ,  , 

otKi-i.t  iUickinghani.  lM)r  want  ot  this  conhdence,  the 
''"'~^^'  lIouse(jf  Commons  refused  to  provide  the  neces- 
sarv  funds  unless  he  was  dismissetl.  Charles  was  angry, 
dissolved  Parliament,  tried  in  vain  to  raise  money  on  his 
own  resi)()nsil)ility,  and  then  called  Parliament  together 
once  more  in  March,  i62*S.  I^ut  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, instead  of  voting  money,  drew  up  a  paper  called 
the  "  Petition  of  Right."  This  pai)er,  which  received 
the  consent  of  the  Peers,  asserted  the  following  prin- 
ciples: iMrst,  that  no  English  subject  could  be  com- 
pelled to  pay  any  tax  whatever  without  the  consent  of 
Parliament ,  secontlly,  that  no  one  coukl  l)e  imprisoned 
without  cause  shown;  thirdly,  that  no  one  coukl  be 
com[)elled  to  receive  soldiers  or  sailors  into  his  house; 
and  fourthlv,  that  no  one  could  be  tried  by  martial  law 
in  time  of  peace.  All  these  things  had  been  done  by 
the  king;  and  for  him  to  surrender  the  right  to  do 
them  was  to  give  up  a  great  deal  of  what  he  and  his 
father  before  him  had  regarded  as  kingly  power.  lUit 
his  need  of  money  was  desperate,  and  the  House  of 
Commons  held  the  purse;  so  at  last,  most  unwillingly, 
he  consented   to  the  i)etition.      ICven   then  he  tried  to 


1628.J 


i'i:rrno\  of  rioiit. 


3:> 


soften  the  fall  by  giving  his  consent  in  an  unusual 
way.  Hut  the  Commons  were  not  to  be  put  off  in  this 
manner,  and  at  once  set  about  atlding  an  additional 
document,    called    a    Remonstrance,    or    Statement,    of 


KFXC.    <1I\KI,KS    [.  :    FROM    A    I'A 


iN'TrNr.  ]:v  vam   hvrK. 


Grievances.  Then  the  king  sent  them  a  message  in- 
forming them  that  it  was  their  business  to  vote  monev, 
and  not  to  draw  up  remonstrances.  Hien  followed 
some  bold  debates,  in  which  Sir  John  p:iiot  was  begin- 
ning to  say  something  against   the  Duke  of   Huckini/- 


jifiiivfc'.aat'fctM 


156 


CHARLES   I. 


[1629. 


ham,    when   the   Speaker   interrupted  him,    and   said, 
"  There  is  a  command  laid  upon  me  to  interrupt  any 
that  should  go  about  to  lay  an  aspersion  on  the  minis- 
ters of  state."     Presently  the  Speaker  asked  permis- 
sion to  leave  the  House ;  and  when  he  was  gone,  the 
members  found  their  tongues.      Sir  Edward  Coke  stood 
up,  and  named  the  Duke  of  Buckingham  as  the  source 
of  all  the  people's  troubles.      Then  the   Speaker  re- 
turned, and  adjourned  the  House  till  next  day.      But 
the  words  that  had  been  spoken,  and  the  spirit  shown, 
had  such  an  influence  on  the  Peers  that  they  sent  a 
deputation,  with  Buckingham  at  its  head,  to  beg  the 
king  to  give  a  prompt  and  clear  answer  to  the  Peti- 
tion of  Right.     That  very  afternoon  he  answered  by 
coming  to  the  House  of  Peers,  and  giving  his  approval 
in  the  customary  form  to  the  petition.     The  clerk  said 
in  old    Norman-French,   which    is   even  now  used    in 
many  official  proceedings  in  England,  "  Soit  droit  fait 
comme  est  desire"  (Let  it  be  enacted  as  prayed  for); 
and  henceforth  the  Petition  of  Right  became  the  law 
of  the  land.      It  was  so  great  a  step  in  the  direction  of 
popular  government  that  it  has  been  called  "  the  second 
Magna  Charta."     After  all,  when  the  House  had  voted 
the   money  desired,    it  went    on    with    the    "Remon- 
strance;" but  the  House  had  now  lost  its  hold  on  the 
king,  as  he  had  all  he  wanted,  and  so  he  dissolved  it. 

Another  expedition  for  the  relief  of  Rochelle  was 
now  fitted  out  with  all  speed,  and  the  Duke  of  Buck- 
ingham went  down  to  Portsmouth  to  take  command. 
But  he  was  there  murdered  by  an  officer  in  the  army 
who  felt  himself  ill-treated  by  Buckingham. 

Parliament  came  together  again  in  1629,  amid  dis- 
aster abroad  and  discontent  at  home.     The  House  of 


1629.] 


SIR  JOHN   ELIOT'S   RESOLUTIONS. 


157 


Commons,  instead  of  voting  money,  began  by  adopting 
a  complaint  against  Laud  and  two  other  clergymen 
who  favored  more  elaborate  religious  cere-  sir  John 
monies  in  the  Church  of  England.  Then  Kesoiu- 
came  up  anew  the  question  of  the  Petition  of  *'°"^- 
Right,  which  had  been  disregarded.  The  Speaker 
tried  to  prevent  action  by  the  House,  even  breaking 
up  the  sitting  by  leaving  his  chair.  A  few  days 
later,  after  having  twice  adjourned  the  House  in  this 
same  way,  he  again  refused  to  keep  his  place.  This 
could  be  endured  no  longer ;  and  two  members,  Denzil 
Holies  and  Benjamin  Valentine,  seized  him,  and  held 
him  in  his  place  by  main  force.  Holies  saying,  "You 
shall  sit  until  we  please  to  rise."  Then  Sir  John 
Eliot  made  a  bold  speech,  defending  the  House  against 
any  charge  of  disrespect  to  the  king,  and  presenting  a 
series  of  resolutions,  on  which  he  demanded  a  vote. 
Several  members  rose  to  leave  the  House ;  but  a  mem- 
ber locked  the  door,  and  put  the  key  in  his  pocket. 
Then  Eliot  again  called  upon  the  Speaker  to  do  his 
duty,  and  put  the  resolutions  to  vote,  reminding  him 
that  every  one  who  had  thus  far  defied  Parliament  had 
been  broken  down  by  it.  The  Speaker  said  he  dared 
not  do  it.  At  last  Denzil  Holies,  standing  by  the 
Speaker's  chair,  and  while  the  royal  messengers  were 
pounding  on  the  door,  read  the  resolutions  himself,  put 
them  to  vote,  and  saw  them  passed  by  an  overwhelming 
majority.  They  asserted  that  every  one  who  tried  to 
introduce  new  ceremonies  into  the  Church,  or  who  ad- 
vised the  levy  of  taxes  without  the  express  grant  from 
Parliament,  or  who  paid  taxes  so  levied,  was  a  betrayer 
of  the  liberties  of  England,  and  an  enemy  to  the  king- 
dom.    The  door  was  then  flung  open,  and  the  members 


rsS 


/ 


CHARLES   I. 


[1635. 


went  out,  meeting  the  soldiers  whom  the  king  had  sent 
to  force  their  way  in.  The  work  of  this  Parliament 
was  done.  It  was  now  the  king's  turn,  and  for  eleven 
long  years  no  House  of  Commons  was  called  together 
in  England.  Sir  John  Eliot  was  placed  in  confine- 
ment, and  refusing  to  make  his  submission  to  the 
king,  died  there  a  martyr  to  the  cause  of  English 
liberty.  Among  the  members  who  spoke  for  the  first 
time  in  this  Parliament  was  Oliver  Cromwell. 

Charles  was  now  resolved  to  govern  without  parlia- 
ments, if  it  were  possible.  The  money  question  was 
the  only  difficult  one.  But  he  had  a  treas- 
govern-  urcr  uamcd  Weston,  who  had  great  skill  and 
^A"!e  ingenuity  in  getting  money  out  of  the  people  of 
^*"^'  p:ngland  without  driving  them  into  rebellion. 
To  begin  with,  Weston  and  his  friends  looked  up  and 
enforced  certain  old  laws  which  people  had  long  since 
forgotten.  For  instance,  there  was  an  old  law  which 
required  that  when  a  new  king  was  crowned,  all  men 
who  owned  land  to  a  certain  amount  must  be  raised  to 
the  rank  of  knighthood,  whether  they  desired  it  or 
not.  Now,  as  years  went  by,  and  the  value  of  money 
decreased,  it  became  impossible  for  such  landowners 
to  support  the  dignity  of  knighthood.  They  had  not 
asked  to  be  knighted,  and  the  existence  of  the  law 
itself  had  been  wellnigh  forgotten.  Weston  now  com- 
pelled all  who  had  broken  this  law  to  pay  large  fines. 
Another  way  he  had  of  raising  money  was  by  the  sale 
of  monopolies,  or  the  exclusive  right  to  sell  or  make 
a  certain  article.  There  was  now  no  Parliament  to 
object  to  the  creation  of  monopolies,  so  Weston  sold 
the  right  to  make  and  sell  innumerable  things,  even 
soap,  to  those  who  would  pay  a  large  sum  to  the  king. 


i 


1635] 


ARCHBISHOP  LAUD  AND  THE  PURITANS. 


159 


and  a  smaller  sum  to  himself.  In  these  and  other 
ways  Weston  kept  the  king  supplied  with  money  for 
several  years. 

The  king  had  another  and  worse  adviser  in  William 
Laud,    Archbishop  of   Canterbury.       After   Weston's 
death,  he  became  the  real  head  of  the  treasury, 
and  the  most  powerful  subject  in  Eno^land.      He  bishop 

T  A 

was  honest  and  sincere,  but  narrow,  harsh,  and  and  the 
arrogant.  To  him  "  Church  and  King "  were  ^"''*^"'' 
everything,  while  the  people  seemed  a  body  to  be 
trained,  amused,  and  kept  down.  He  especially  wished 
to  restore  the  Church  and  clergy  to  the  high  power  in 
the  state  they  had  once  held,  and  to  bring  back  many 
of  the  ceremonies  that  had  been  given  up  since  the 
Reformation.  He  wished  to  replace  in  the  churches 
the  stained  glass  windows  that  had  been  destroyed 
or  removed.  He  wished  also  to  encourage  dancing, 
the  theatre,  and  Sunday  afternoon  sports.  He  even 
persuaded  Charles  to  reissue  a  certain  "  Declaration  of 
Sports,"  which  King  James  had  withdrawn,  for  fear 
of  offending  the  Puritans  and  their  friends.  The 
clergy  were  now  ordered  to  read  this  declaration 
from  their  pulpits.  Some  refused,  and  were  pun- 
ished. One  man  read  the  offensive  document  and 
the  Ten  Commandments  in  succession,  and  then  said 
to  his  congregation:  "Ye  have  heard  the  command- 
ments of  God  and  man;  obey  which  ye  please." 
When  it  came  to  play-acting,  there  was  more  to  be 
said  for  the  Puritan  view.  The  stage  was  degraded, 
and  reflected  the  moral  tone  of  the  people,  which  was 
low.  All  this  displeased  the  Puritans,  whose  moral 
tone  was  good,  though  their  views  might  sometimes  be 
narrow.     One  of  them,  William  Prynne,  wrote  a  book 


i6o 


/ 


CHARLES   I. 


[1635. 


against  stage-plays.      Laud  declared  this  an  insult  to 
the  queen,  who  sometimes  had  taken  part  in  private 
theatricals.     So  the  Star  Chamber  sentenced    Prynne 
to  be  placed   in   the  pillory,  where  everybody  might 
insult  him,  to  lose  his  ears,  to  pay  a  fine,  and  to  be 
imprisoned    during    the   king's   pleasure.       And   this 
sentence  was  executed  without  arousing  much  remark. 
During  all  this  time  the  need  of  money  became  more 
and  more  pressing.     All  the  extreme  measures  resorted 
Ship-      to   by   Weston   and    his    successors   were    not 
money,     enough ;  so  a  new  device  was  invented.     This 
was  called  ship-money.     The  English  navy  had  become 
very  much  reduced,   and  it  was  decided  to  revive  it. 
In  Queen  Elizabeth's  day  she  used  to  call  upon  the 
seaport    towns    or  counties    to  furnish   ships    for   the 
navy,  as  they  were  needed.     This  was  now  done;  but 
the  ships  demanded  were  so  large  that  only  London 
could  furnish  them,   the  other  seaport  places  being  let 
off  with  paying  a  sum  of  money  instead,  to  be  collected 
from  the  individual  taxpayers.      A  large  sum  was  thus 
raised  without  much  opposition,  and  there  is  no  rea- 
son to  doubt  that  it  was  honestly  spent  on  the  navy. 
The  trouble  was  that  it  created  a  very  strong  tempta- 
tion to  go  a  little  farther,  and  raise  money  in  this  way 
for  all  the  expenses  of  the  court. 

Accordingly,  during  the  next  year  (1635)  there 
came  another  call  for  ship-money.  This  time  it  was 
Hamp-  ingeniously  argued  that  the  inland  counties 
c^l  ^^^^  ^^  ^^^^  interested  in  the  defence  of  the 
kingdom  as  the  rest,  and  why  should  they  not 
pay  their  share.?  This  they  did,  with  some  farther 
grumbling.  But  when  there  came,  in  the  next  year, 
a  third  call  for  ship-money,  addressed  to  all  the  coun'- 


X 

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i6o 


CHARLES    I. 


[•635. 


a^Minst  staple-plays.      Laud  declared  this  an  insult  to 
the  queen,  who  sometimes  had  taken  part   in  private 
theatricals.     So  the   Star  Chamber  sentenced    Prynne 
to    be   placed    in    the   pillory,   where  everybody  miL,dit 
insult  him,  to  lose  his  ears,  to  pay  a  fine,  and  to  be 
imprisoned    (hiring    the    king's    pleasure.       And    this 
sentence  was  executed  without  arousing  much  remark. 
During  all  this  time  the  need  of  money  became  more 
and  more  pressing.     All  the  extreme  measures  resorted 
Ship-       to    by    Weston    and    his     successors    were     not 
nioncv.     enough;  so  a  new  device   was   invented.      This 
was  called  ship-money.     The  English  navy  had  become 
very  much   reduced,    and    it   was  decided  to  revive  it. 
In   (Jueen    I^lizabeth's  day  she  used   to  call   upon  the 
seaport    towns    or  counties    to   furnish    ships    for    the 
navy,  as  they  were  needed.      This  was  now  done;   but 
the  ships  demanded   were  so  large  that  only   London 
could   furnish  them,   the  other  seaport  places  being  let 
off  with  paying  a  sum  of  money  instead,  to  be  collected 
from  the  indivichial  taxpayers.      A  large  sum  was  thus 
raised   without   much  opposition,  and  there  is  no  rea- 
son to  doubt  that   it  was  honestly  spent  on  the  navy. 
The  trouble  was  that  it  created  a  very  strong  temi)ta- 
tion  to  go  a  little  farther,  and  raise  money  in  this  way 
for  all  the  expenses  of  the  court. 

Accordingly,  during  the  next  year  (1635)  there 
came  another  call  lor  ship-money.  This  time  it  was 
Hamp-  i"K^'nifHi'^ly  argucd  that  the  inland  counties 
c^c  ^^^^^^  ^^  ""'^'^^^  interested  in  the  defence  of  the 
kingdom  as  the  rest,  and  why  should  they  not 
pay  their  share .^  This  they  did,  with  some  farther 
grumbling.  Hut  when  there  came,  in  the  next  year, 
a  third  call  for  ship-money,  addressed  to  all  the  coun- 


1; 


tr 
m 


o 


> 


X 

o 


r 

V. 


V, 


v» 

o 

> 


m 

X 

7i 


C. 


-3 


\'4i^SiS^^^6S&^ 


^fi^?^^W^-rf^^,^^^^:':^P?S^-^^'' 


l62 


^ 


CHARLES   I. 


[1637. 


ties,  and  payable  by  individual  taxpayers,  the  people 
began  to  open  their  eyes.  It  became  plain  that  the 
king  had  hit  upon  a  method  for  raising  just  what 
money  he  pleased,  even  while  refusing  to  call  together 
a  Parliament.  The  excitement  spread  fast,  and  many 
prominent  men  refused  to  pay  their  share  of  the  ship- 
money,  believing  that  the  Parliament  alone  had  the 
right  to  tax  them.  Among  them  were  Lord  Say  and 
Sele,  Lord  Brook  (for  whom  Saybrook  in  Connecticut 
is  named),  and  John  Hampden,  one  of  England's 
greatest  men.  Hampden's  case  was  brought  to  trial. 
Seven  of  the  "  twelve  judges  "  decided  against  him, 
giving  their  opinions  in  favor  of  the  king.  We 
shall  see  what  became  of  the  "ship-money  judges," 
and  their  decision  in  Hampden's  case,  when  the  Long 
Parliament  met.     For  the  present  the  ship-money  was 

collected. 

The  king's  triumph  seemed  complete ;  but  his  best 
advisers  cautioned  him  that  the  popular  feeling  was 
Public  with  Hampden,  and  that  he  would  do  well  to 
opinion        jj   ^  Parliament.       Soon    Prynne   was    again 

against  •'  ^^ 

the  king,  brought  bcforc  the  Star  Chamber,  this  time 
for  speaking  his  mind  very  freely  about  Laud  and  his 
bishops.  Others  were  brought  up  at  the  same  time, 
—  Burton,  a  clergyman,  and  also  a  physician  named 
Bastwick.  This  last  man  had  gone  even  farther  than 
Prynne,  and  had  prayed:  "From  plague,  pestilence, 
and  famine,  from  bishops,  priests,  and  deacons,  good 
Lord  deliver  us."  All  three  were  condemned  to  stand 
in  the  pillory.  Burton  and  Bastwick  to  lose  their  ears, 
and  Prynne  what  was  left  of  his;  and  the  last-named 
to  be  branded  on  each  cheek  " S.  S.,"  for  Sower  of 
Sedition.       When    the    prisoners    went    through    the 


1637] 


THE  SCOTTISH   CHURCH. 


163 


streets  to  meet  their  punishment,  they  found  the 
pavements  strewn  with  flowers  and  green  wreaths  in 
their  honor.  A  groan  went  up  from  the  whole 
assembly  when  the  cruel  punishment  was  inflicted; 
and  when  the  prisoners  were  afterwards  carried  to 
distant  parts  of  England,  the  same  deep  sympathy 
met  them  everywhere. 

Between  Prynne's  two  punishments  a  great  change 
had  taken  place  in  public  opinion.     The  great  middle 
class  now  stood  behind  Hampden  and  Prynne,   ^^^ 
though  Charles  and  his  favorite  archbishop  had  Scottish 

°  .  .  Church. 

not  discovered  it.  The  great  Puritan  emigration 
to  America  was  going  on  all  this  time  (1630-1640) ;  and 
we  cannot  understand  the  bitter  feeling  that  the  emi- 
grants carried  with  them,  not  merely  against  bishops, 
but  against  kings,  without  remembering  how  Laud  and 
Charles  were  associated  in  their  minds.  Before  long 
these  two  men  took  a  new  step  in  what  the  people  called 
tyranny.  They  resolved  to  strengthen  the  Episcopal 
Church  in  Scotland.  They  found  the  Scots  less  loyal 
and  patient  than  the  English.  In  Scotland,  at  the 
Reformation,  the  bishops  had  generally  left  their 
flocks,  and,  under  the  lead  of  John  Knox,  the  Church 
of  Scotland,  or  Kirk,  as  it  was  called,  had  come  to  be 
governed,  according  to  the  methods  of  Calvin,  by  rep- 
resentative assemblies,  ''presbyteries,"  and  the  like. 
King  James  had  established  bishops  in  Scotland,  but 
they  had  obtained  little  influence.  The  king  and  Laud 
now  resolved  to  make  the  Scottish  Kirk  uniform  with 
the  Church  in  England.  So  the  Scottish  clergy  were 
ordered  to  wear  surplices,  which  they  hated,  and  a  new 
prayer-book  was  sent  to  them  from  England,  with 
orders  for  every  minister  to  buy  two  copies,  and  use 


■ifB^^StSPff*-'' 


/^ 


164 


CHARLES   I. 


[1639 


1640.] 


THE  LONG   PARLIAMENT. 


165 


the  book  every  Sunday.  On  July  2^,  1637,  the  Dean 
of  St.  Giles's  Church  in  Edinburgh  began  to  read  from 
the  new  prayer-book.  A  riot  followed,  and  it  did  not 
take  long  to  put  all  Scotland  in  open  rebellion.  An 
old  agreement,  called  "The  National  Covenant,"  was 
revived.  It  was  signed  by  all  the  leading  men  except 
a  few  royalists  in  the  North.  Its  signers  agreed  to 
stand  by  their  own  religious  faith  and  forms.  The 
Covenanters  soon  raised  an  army,  seized  Edinburgh 
Castle,  and  went  to  war  with  the  king. 

The  war,  however,  did  not  last  long.  Neither  party 
really  wished  to  fight,  and  a  treaty  was  made  at  Ber- 
^^^  wick.  Unfortunately  the  Scots  had  no  con- 
first        fidence    in    Charles.       They   kept    their    army 

Bishops'  .  -^  ^  -^ 

War  together,  and  applied  to  the  French  king  for 
'^ '  aid.  Charles  wished  to  renew  the  war,  but 
he  had  no  money;  and  at  last,  after  eleven  years  of 
refusal,  he  made  up  his  mind  to  call  Parliament  to- 
gether once  more.  In  doing  this  he  acted  under  the 
straf-  advice  of  Thomas  Wentworth,  Earl  of  Strafford, 
ford.  jyi^j^  called  this  statesman  "the  apostate,"  be- 
cause at  one  time  he  had  seemed  to  be  on  the  people's 
side.  But  his  opposition  to  the  court  at  the  time  of  the 
Petition  of  Right  had  been  merely  because  of  his  dis- 
like to  Buckingham,  after  whose  death  he  fell  into  his 
natural  place  as  the  chief  defender  of  royalty  against 
the  rising  spirit  of  liberty.  He  wished  to  preserve 
the  king's  power  as  it  had  existed  under  the  later 
Tudors.  While  Weston  and  Laud  had  been  at  work 
for  the  king  in  England,  Strafford  had  been  doing  the 
same  in  Ireland,  where,  under  his  favorite  watchword, 
"Thorough,"  he  had  oppressed  the  Irish  most  cruelly. 
He  had  advised  the  king  against  the  treaty  of  Berwick, 


(1640). 


and  he  now  urged  him  to  call  a  Parliament.     That 
body  met  in  April,    1640.      It  utterly  refused  to  vote 
money  until   the  popular  grievances  were  re- 
dressed.     But  the  king  refused  thus  to  give  up   short 
all  the  principles  at  stake;  and  after  a  twenty-   menr 
three  days'   session  Parliament  was  dissolved,    ^^^^o)- 
It  is  hence  known  as  the  Short  Parliament. 

In  one  way  or  another  Charles  and  Strafford  got 
together  some  soldiers  and  armed  them.  At  their 
head  Strafford  set  out  to  meet  the  Scots.     But  ^, 

The 

the  English  soldiers  hated  Laud  more  than  they  second 

T  ,    , ,  .       ,         ,  -  ^  ,      '^     Bishops' 

did  those  against  whom  they  were  marching,  war 
They  called  the  war  "  The  Bishops'  War. "  They  '^ 
tore  down  the  altar  railings  which  Laud  had  caused  to 
be  erected  in  the  parish  churches.  They  deserted  by 
hundreds,  and  sometimes  killed  their  own  officers.  The 
Scots  poured  over  the  border,  took  possession  of  the 
coal-mines  of  the  North  of  England,  and  were  only  pre- 
vented from  coming  farther  southward  by  the  king's 
promising  to  pay  them  ;£'25,ooo  per  month  until  peace 
should  be  made.  The  king  could  not  possibly  pay 
such  a  large  sum,  and  he  was  compelled  to  call  a  Par- 
liament. It  met  at  Westminster  Nov.  3,  1640,  and 
sat,  with  intermissions,  for  nearly  twenty  years,  until 
March  16,  1660.  It  is  for  this  reason  known  in  history 
as  the  Long  Parliament. 

The  new  Parliament  was  differently  situated  from 
any  other  that  had  ever  come  together.      In  the  first 
place,  the  great  mass  of  the  English  people  was   The 
behind  it,  for  men  were  weary  of  paying  taxes   paJlfa- 
to  which    their   consent    had   not    been    given,    "J^"^_ 
while  many  were  tired  of  Laud  and  his  innova-    »<^^o)- 
tions.      Then  again,    and   what   was  most   important, 


■rtBiwgftBWjMriJtrmiiii  mfrntnna  I 


i 


166 


CHARLES  I. 


[1641. 


Parliament  had  an  armed  force  behind  it, — not  the 
English  army,  to  be  sure,  but  the  Scottish  army.  The 
king  could  not  pay  the  Scots;  and  as  long  as  Parlia- 
ment paid  them  only  enough  to  secure  their  staying  in 
the  North  of  England,  and  not  enough  to  induce  them 
to  return  to  Scotland,  so  long  Parliament  held  a  sword 
hanging  over  the  king's  head.  If  Parliament  were 
dissolved,  and  the  Scots  came  south,  no  one  could  tell 
what  might  happen.  Or  again,  if  Parliament  refused 
to  pay  any  money,  and  they  came  south,  it  was  un- 
certain how  many  Puritans  would  join  them;  so  the 
king  was  obliged  to  do  and  hear  many  things  he  did 
not  like. 

Recognizing  in  Strafford  the  one  man  capable  of 
opposing  them,  the  patriot  leaders  determined  to  over- 
Execu-  th^ow  him.  On  November  11,  therefore,  John 
tionof  Pym  —  "King  Pym  "  his  enemies  called  him  — 
ford        appeared  before  the  House  of  Peers,  and  in  the 

^'  '  name  of  the  Commons  accused  Strafford  of  high 
treason.  Even  while  Pym  was  speaking,  Strafford 
entered  the  House,  intending  to  bring  the  same  charge 
against  Pym  on  account  of  certain  dealings  with  the 
Scots.  He  was  forbidden  to  speak,  and  was  sent  to  the 
Tower  to  await  trial.  Laud,  too,  was  arrested,  though 
his  trial  was  long  delayed.  When  Strafford's  trial 
began,  it  soon  became  evident  that  it  would  be  hard 
to  convict  him  on  the  charge  of  treason.  So  the  trial 
before  the  Peers  was  abandoned.  A  bill  declaring 
Strafford  a  public  enemy,  and  providing  for  his  execu- 
tion, was  brought  into  the  Commons  and  passed.  This 
was  called  a  Bill  of  Attainder,  and,  like  any  other  bill, 
required  the  consent  of  the  Commons,  Peers,  and  king, 
to  become  a  law.     The  excitement  during  its  passage 


1641.] 


CONSTITUTIONAL   REFORMS. 


16/ 


was  intense,  and  once  when  a  board  in  the  floor  of 
Parliament  creaked  under  the  weight  of  a  very  heavy 
member,  the  other  members  drew  their  swords,  as  if 
the  Gunpowder  Plot  were  begun  again.  Charles  was 
very  slow  to  give  his  consent  to  the  Bill  of  Attainder, 
and  when  he  did  so,  he  tried  to  put  off  the  execution. 
As  soon,  however,  as  it  became  known  that  Strafford 
had  tried  to  bribe  his  jailer  with  ;^20,ooo,  —  a  sum 
that  would  be  worth,  in  these  times,  several  hundred 
thousand  dollars, —  the  House  of  Commons  demanded 
that  his  execution  should  be  hurried,  and  refused 
to  wait.  So  on  May  12,  1641,  the  great  earl  was 
beheaded. 

During  the  year  1641  Parliament  made  many  other 
changes,  aiming  to  overthrow  the  whole  system  of 
arbitrary  government  built  up  by  Strafford  and  (^q,jj.jjj^. 
Laud.     The   courts   which    had    been    misused  tionai 

reforms. 

were  abolished, — the  Star  Chamber,  the  High 
Commission,  and  the  Council  of  the  North.  Prynne 
and  his  fellow-sufferers  were  released  from  prison. 
Ship-money  was  declared  illegal,  the  judgment  in 
Hampden's  case  was  annulled,  and  the  ship-money 
judges  who  did  not  get  away  were  impeached.  Then 
a  law  was  passed  arranging  for  more  frequent  parlia- 
ments in  the  future,  even  if  the  king  did  not  summon 
them.  When  the  king's  consent  was  obtained  to  a  bill 
providing  that  the  present  Parliament  should  not  be 
dissolved  except  by  its  own  consent,  the  two  Houses 
went  to  work  to  pay  off  both  armies  and  to  disband 
them. 

Charles  now  went  to  Scotland,  found  he  had  very 
little  authority  there,  and  then  came  back  to  Eng- 
land, where  he  was  better  received  than  before.     This 


1 68 


CHARLES   I. 


[1642. 


was  due  partly  to  the  concessions  he  had  made,  but 
still  more  to  the  fact  that  the  reformers  themselves 
The        ^^^  now  begun  to  disagree  as  to  what  to  do  with 
dfsa^rle   ^^^  ^^^^^^  ^^  England.     Some  of  them,   like 
?e^'^on    ^^^^^^^"^  ^^^  Hytle  (afterwards  Earl  of  Claren- 
don), wished  simply  to  have  the  Church  service 
as  it  was  before  Laud  had  meddled  with  it.     Others, 
like  Pym,   Hampden,  and    Cromwell,   desired   that   it 
should   be   completely   reformed;    a  few,    like    Lord 
The        Brook,  stood  for  a  middle  course.     Moreover, 
ktbd-     ^  ^^^^^   rebellion    had   broken   out  in  Ireland. 
0T41).     ^^^^^  Strafford's  iron  rule  had  been  removed, 
the   Irish  peasants,  who  had  been  driven  from 
their  homes  by  the  English,  drove  out  the  English  in 
return;  and  these  last  were  either  killed  or  made  their 
way  to  Dublin  half-starved  and  naked.     It  was  plain  it 
would  never  do  to  give  Charles  an  army  to  put  down 
this  rebellion,  for  he  would  surely  use  it  against  the 
patriots  in  England,  who  were  now  having  a  hard  time 
to  maintain  themselves.      To  revive  the  resentment  of 
The        the  people  against  the  king,  the  reformers  car- 
Remon-   ^icd  through  the  Commons  the  "  Grand  Remon- 
strance,   strance,"  reciting  all  Charles's  illegal  acts  since 
the  beginning  of    his    reign.      Their   majority  in  the 
Commons,  where  at  first  they  had  met  with  almost  no 
opposition,  was  now  only  eleven,  and  they  came  near 
drawing   swords   among  themselves.      Two  days  later 
the  king  returned  from   Scotland,   and   found  himself 
so  well  received  that  he  believed    his  power  to  have 
revived,  and  refused  to  make  any  concessions  whatever. 
On  Jan.   3,    1642,  the  king's  attorney-general  came 
into  the  House  of  Peers  and  impeached  of  high  trea- 
son one  peer.  Lord  Kimbolton,  and  five  commoners, — 


\ 


1642.J       ATTEMPT  TO  ARREST  THE  FIVE  MEMBERS.         1 69 

Pym,   Hampden,  Haselrig,   Holies,  and  Strode, —  the 
complaint  being  that  they  had  intrigued  with  the  Scots 
during  the  late  troubles.     When  the  king  de- 
manded  the  persons  of  the  five  accused  com-  attempt 
moners,  the  House  of  Commons  voted  to  take  *?^!J^^* 

'  tlie  rive 

the   matter   into    consideration.      Not   satisfied  '"^'"- 

bers. 

with  this,  Charles  decided  to  go  the  next  day  to 

the  House  and  seize  the   five   members.     When   the 

moment  came,  his  heart  failed  him,  and  had  not  the 


A  COACH  OF  THE  MIDDLE  OF  THE  SEVENTEENTH  CENTURY: 
FROM  AN  ENGRAVING  BY  JOHN  DUNSTALL. 

queen  called  him  a  coward,  he  might  not  have  gone. 
At  last,  however,  he  entered  the  House,  and  stand- 
ing before  the  Speaker's  chair,  told  the  members 
that  he  had  come  to  take  the  traitors.  Not  seeing 
them,  he  asked  the  Speaker  if  they  were  there.  Wil- 
liam Lenthall,  the  Speaker,  kneeling  before  the  king, 
answered  bravely,  "  May  it  please  your  Majesty,  I  have 


1 68 


CHARLES   I. 


£1642. 


was  due  partly  to  the  concessions  he  had  made,  but 
still  more  to  the  fact  that  the  reformers  themselves 
The        ^^^  ^^^v  begun  to  disagree  as  to  what  to  do  with 
SfsaTrcc    ^^^'  ^h^^^ch   «f  luigland.      Some  of  them,    like 
about       Falkland  and  Hyde  (afterwards  L:arl  of   Claren- 
don),  wished  simply  to  have  the  Church  service 
as  it  was  before  Laud  had  meddled  with  it.      Others, 
like  Pym,    Hampden,   and    Cromwell,    desired    that    it 
should    be   completely    reformed;     a   few,    like    Lord 
The        J^rook,   stood  for  a  middle  course.      Moreover, 
HM.     ^  ^^^^^    rebellion    had    broken    out  in  Ireland. 
oI?4.).     ^^^'''^  Strafford's  iron   rule  had  been  removed, 
the    Irish  peasants,   who  had  been  driven  from 
their  homes  by  the  English,  drove  out  the  English  in 
return;  and  these  last  were  either  killed  or  made  their 
way  to  Dublin  half-starved  and  naked.      It  was  plain  it 
w()uld  never  do  to  give  Charles  an  army  to  put  down 
this  rebellion,  for  he  would  surely  use  it  against  the 
patriots  in  luigland,  who  were  now  having  a  hard  time 
to  maintain  themselves.      To  revive  the  resentment  of 
The        the  people  against  the  king,  the  reformers  car- 
Kemun-    '"'^-'t^  through  the  Commons  the  ''Grand   Remon- 
strance,   strance,"  reciting  all  Charles's  illegal  acts  since 
the  beginning  of    his    reign.       Their    majority  in   the 
Commons,  where  at  first  they  had   met  with  almost  no 
opposition,  was  now  only  eleven,  and  they  came  near 
drawing    swords    among  themselves.      Two   days  later 
the  king  returned  from   Scotland,   and    found   himself 
so  well  received  that  he  believed    his  power  to  have 
revived,  and  refused  to  make  any  concessions  whatever. 
On  Jan.    3,    1642,  the  king's  attorney-general   came 
into  the   House  of   Peers  and   impeached  of  hi^rh  trea- 
son  one  peer.  Lord  Kimbolton,  and  five  commoners,— 


i 


1642.]        ATTEMPT  TO  ARREST  THE  FIVE  MEMBERS.         1 69 

Pym,    Hampden,   Haselrig,   Holies,   and  Strode, —  the 
complaint  being  that  they  had  intrigued  with  the  Scots 
during  the  late  troubles.      When  the  king  de- 
manded  the  persons  of  the  five  accused   com-  attempt 
moners,  the  House  of  Commons  voted  to  take  ^;;-"!'^"'' 
the    matter    into    consideration.      Not    satisfied  '"'^'"■ 
with  this,  Charles  decided  to  go  the  next  day  to 
the  House   and  seize   the    five    members.      When    the 
moment  came,  his  heart  failed  him,  and  had  not  the 


A   COACH    OK    I'lIK    MIDDLE    OV   THE    SKVENTEKNTII    CENTITRY: 
FROM    AN    KNC.RAVFNC,    i:Y   jolfN    DUNSTALL. 

queen  called  him  a  coward,  he  might  not  have  gone. 
At  last,  however,  he  entered  the  House,  and  stand- 
ing before  the  Speaker's  chair,  told  the  mem])ers 
that  he  had  come  to  take  the  traitors.  Not  seeintr 
them,  he  asked  the  Speaker  if  they  were  there.  Wil- 
liam Lenthall,  the  Speaker,  kneeling  before  the  king, 
answered  bravely,  "May  it  please  your  Majesty,  I  have 


I70 


CHARLES   I. 


[1642. 


neither  eyes  to  see  nor  tongue  to  speak  in  this  place, 
but  as  the  House  is  pleased  to  direct  me."  "Well, 
well,"  said  Charles,  "  't  is  no  matter.  I  think  my  eyes 
are  as  good  as  another's."  Then,  finding,  as  he  ex- 
pressed it,  that  the  birds  were  flown,  he  departed  amid 
cries  of  "Privilege!  privilege!"  This  was  to  remind 
him  that  it  was  the  legal  privilege  of  members  not 
to  be  arrested  for  what  they  said  in  Parliament.  He 
soon  found  that  the  five  members  had  taken  refuge 
in  the  City  of  London,  by  order  of  the  House,  and 
he  accordingly  went  and  demanded  them  of  the  Com- 
mon Council.  The  same  cry  of  "  Privileges  of  Parlia- 
ment "  met  his  ear,  and  this  was  all  he  could  get  from 
the  City,  which  had  lately  received  him  so  cordially. 
These  attempts,  too,  made  all  the  reforming  party  in 
Parliament  feel  that  their  own  freedom  was  in  danger; 
so  that  the  peers,  the  city  merchants,  and  the  moder- 
ates, like  Falkland,  were  once  more  united  with  the 
Puritans.  The  Commons  left  Westminster,  and  sat  as 
a  committee  in  the  Guildhall  of  the  City  of  London. 
They  appointed  a  general  to  command  the  London 
train-bands,  or  militia,  who  were  loyal  to  the  people's 
cause ;  and  even  the  Thames  watermen  pledged  them- 
selves to  protect  the  Commons.  After  this  they 
thought  they  could  safely  return  to  Westminster,  and 
did  so,  Jan.   11,  1642. 

Charles  L  had  not  waited  to  see  the  triumph  of 
"King  Pym"  and  the  Puritans,  but  had  fled  with  the 
queen  and  their  children;  and  when  next  he 
entered  his  palace  of  Whitehall,  it  was  as  a 
prisoner.  Meanwhile,  the  Parliament  made 
one  more  demand  upon  him,  —  to  place  the  control  of 
all   the  militia   in   the  hands   of  officers   chosen   by 


Civil 
War 
begins. 


1642.] 


CIVIL  WAR   BEGINS. 


171 


Parliament.  Refusing  this,  Charles  raised  his  royal 
standard  at  Nottingham,  and  called  on  all  loyal  sub- 
jects to  aid  him  against  his  rebellious  Parliament. 
It  was  thought  a  bad  omen  for  his  success  when  the 
great  flag,  blown  by  the  furious  wind,  fell  to  the 
earth.  But  it  was  again  set  up,  and  the  great  Civil 
War  began. 


TENTS  AND   MILITARY   EQUIPMENT    IN   THE   REIGN   OF  CHARLES    [. 


172 


THE   CIVIL  WARS. 


[1642. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 


THE    CIVIL    WARS. 


The 
Civil 
War 


1 642-1 649. 

PARLIAMENT  found  no  sort  of  difficulty  in  rais- 
ing an  army.  The  City  of  London  held  to  the 
Parliament's  side,  and  so  did  the  people  of  the  South- 
ern and  Eastern  counties,  then  the  richest  and  most 

thickly  settled  parts  of  the  kingdom.     As  for 

arms  and  ammunition,  the  Parliamentary  party 
O642).     ^^^   ^^^^^^  whatever  the   king   had   collected. 

Yet  their  soldiers  were  inexperienced,  and  the 
king  was  therefore  generally  successful  at  first.  The 
first  battle  at  Edgehill  was  indecisive,  and  the  royal 
army  advanced  as  far  as  Brentford,  a  few  miles  from 
London;  but  there  the  city  train-bands  stopped  him, 
and  he  turned  back  to  Oxford,  where  he  spent  the 
winter,  and  where,  indeed,  he  had  his  headquarters 
during  most  of  the  war. 

The  next  year  neither  side  gained  much.  The 
greatest  loss  to  the  Parliament  was  in  the  death  of 
Death  of  J^^"  Hampden,  who  was  killed  in  a  skirmish  at 
Hamp.  ^^^Ig^o^e  Field,  near  Oxford.  Not  very  much 
O643).     ^^  ^^^^"  ^^  Hampden's  private  history;  but  the 

respect  he  won  both  from  friend  and  foe  shows 
his  character  to  have  been  high.  At  last  the  aid  of 
the  Scots  was  secured  by  the  Parliamentary  leaders. 
This  was  the  last  achievement  of  "King  Pym,"  and  he 


1643] 


OLIVER  CROMWELL. 


173 


also  died  at  the  end  of  1643.  A  year  or  two  later  came 
the  execution  on  the  scaffold  of  Archbishop  Laud,  who 
had  done  more  than  any  one,  except,  perhaps.  Death  of 
Charles  himself,  to  bring  civil  war  upon  the  ^^"'* 
country.  Hampden  and  Pym  upon  the  one  side,  and 
Strafford  and  Laud  upon  the  other  were  thus  re- 
moved. But  a  new  personage,  more  powerful  in  his 
way  than  either  of  them,  had  meantime  appeared  upon 
the  scene. 

Years  after,  it  was  related  that  when  the  members 
were  leaving  the  House  of  Commons  after  the  passage 
of  the  "Grand  Remonstrance,"  a  man  of  good    ^,. 

Onver 

stature,  very  plainly  dressed,  with  a  sharp,  un-   Crom- 

well 

tunable  voice,  and  a  red  and  swollen  face,  was 
heard  to  declare  that  had  the  Remonstrance  been 
rejected,  he,  for  one,  would  have  sold  his  all  the  next 
morning,  and  never  have  seen  England  more.  He 
added :  "  I  know  there  are  many  other  honest  men  of 
the  same  resolution."  That  was  Oliver  Cromwell, 
known  to  his  neighbors  as  "The  Lord  of  the  Fens," 
for  the  manful  way  in  which  he  had  asserted  the  rights 
of  his  friends  against  both  king  and  noble.  Cromwell 
was  not  a  great  Parliamentary  leader,  like  Eliot  or  Pym, 
but  he  had  a  wonderful  way  of  seeing  the  needs  of  the 
moment,  and  of  seeking  a  remedy  with  immense  energy 
and  strength. 

He  saw  that  the  Parliament's  troops,  who  were, 
as  he  said,  mostly  "old,  decayed  serving-men  and 
tapsters,    and   such  kind  of  fellows,"   were  no    Crom- 

well's 

match  for   the   adherents  of   the   king.     "You    iron- 
must   get,"    he   said   to    Hampden,   "men  of  a    ^'  ^^' 
spirit  that  is  likely  to  go  on  as  far  as  gentlemen  will 
go,  or   else   you  will   be   beaten  still."      Soon   after 


ttl 


174 


THE  CIVIL   WARS. 


[1643. 


this,  Cromwell  was  made  a  colonel  of  cavalry,  and 
he  took  good  care  that  none  but  "godly  men,"  by 
which  he  meant  honest,  well-behaved  men,  should 
enlist  in  his   regiment.      He  never  asked    them  what 


OLIVER  CROMWELL  :     FROM   A   PAINTING   BY  SIR   PETER   LELY. 

Church  they  preferred,  but  only  made  sure  that  they 
were  honest,  sober  Christians,  who  had  an  interest  in 
the  welfare  of  the  country.  These  men  he  drilled 
until  they  obeyed  orders  as  men  have  seldom  obeyed 
before  or  since.     **  Truly  they  were  never  beaten  at 


! 


1644.] 


MARSTON   MOOR. 


175 


all,"  he  said  at  a  later  day.     They  went  into  battle 
singing  psalms,  and  were  known  as  the  "Ironsides." 

At  the  head  of  these  men  he  helped  the  Earl  of 
Manchester  to  drive  the  king's  forces  from  the  eastern 
counties.  He  then  marched  into  Lincolnshire,  ^^^^^^^ 
and  beat  the  Royalists  at  Winceby  Fight.  Soon  Moor^ 
after,  he  joined  Fairfax  and  the  Scots,  and  the 
united  armies  laid  siege  to  the  city  of  York,  whither 
the  Marquis  of  Newcastle,  the  king's  commander  in 
the  North,  had  retreated.  Before  long.  Prince  Rupert 
came  to  the  marquis's  aid.  The  two  armies  met  on 
Marston  Moor.  Cromwell,  with  his  Ironsides,  dashed 
through  Rupert's  hitherto  unconquered  troopers  as 
through  a  field  of  growing  corn.  "God  made  them 
as  stubble  to  our  swords,"  he  wrote  to  the  Speaker  of 
the  Commons.  Recalling  his  men  from  the  pursuit,  he 
rode  to  the  aid  of  the  Scots,  who  were  hard  pressed  on 
the  other  flank.  In  a  few  moments  the  day  was  won. 
Soon  after,  York  surrendered,  and  Cromwell  was  a 
power  in  the  land. 

Meantime,  in  the  south  of  England,  the  king  had 
been  very  successful,  and  had  captured  the  greater 
part  of  the  main  army  commanded  by  the  Earl  of 
Essex.  And  even  Cromwell  was  not  always  so  fortu- 
nate as  at  Marston  Moor.  At  Newbury,  when  he  and 
Manchester  had  driven  the  king  off  the  field,  Cromwell 
had  begged  to  be  allowed  to  make  one  charge  with  his 
Ironsides  on  the  retreating  army.  "No,"  said  Man- 
chester, "  if  we  should  beat  the  king  ninety-nine  times, 
he  would  still  be  king,  and  his  posterity  after  him, 
and  we  should  be  subjects  still;  but  if  he  should  beat 
us  only  once,  we  should  be  hanged,  and  our  posterity 
undone."      To   Cromwell  this  lukewarmness   seemed 


'74 


TffK    CfVII.    WARS. 


[i''>4. 


this,  Cromwell  was  ?iia(lc  a  colonel  of  cavalry,  and 
he  took  -ood  care  that  none  hut  *\i;odly  men,"  by 
which  he  meant  honest,  well-behaved  men,  should 
enlist   in  his    regiment,      lie  never  asked    them  what 


nr.rVKK    <K(tM\VKI.r.  :      TROM    A    I'AINriXC    IIV    SFR    I'l   TI-.K    I.FI.V 

Church  they  preferred,  but  only  made  sure  that  they 
were  honest,  sober  Christians,  who  had  an  interest  in 
the  welfare  of  the  country.  These  men  he  drilled 
until  they  obeyed  orders  as  men  have  seldom  obeyed 
before  or  since.      *'Trulv  thev  were  never   beaten    at 


Lafcgaj,J.m.u.iteag^^..&,-. -4T^Jffi■-.»-^^,   ^.-'^  : 


1644.] 


MARSTUN    MOOR. 


175 


all,"  he  said  at  a  later  day.      They  went   into  battle 
sin-'in^'-  psalms,  and  were  known  as  the  "Ironsides." 

At  the  head  of  these  men  he  helped  the  luirl  of 
Manchester  to  drive  the  kin<;'s  forces  from  the  eastern 
counties.  lie  then  marched  into  Lincolnshire,  ^^^^^^^^_^ 
and  beat  the  Royalists  at  Winceby  iM-ht.  Soon  M..or^ 
after,  he  joined  Fairfax  and  the  Scots,  and  the 
united  armies  laid  siege  to  the  city  of  York,  whither 
the  Marcfuis  of  Newcastle,  the  king's  commander  in 
the  North,  had  retreated.  Before  long,  Prince  Rupert 
came  to  the  marquis's  aid.  The  two  armies  met  on 
Marston  Moor.  Cromwxdl,  with  his  Ironsides,  dashed 
through  Rupert's  hitherto  unconquered  troopers  as 
through  a  field  of  growing  corn.  *' God  made  them 
as  stubble  to  our  swords,"  he  wrote  to  the  Speaker  of 
the  Commons.  Recalling  his  men  from  the  pursuit,  he 
rode  to  the  aid  of  the  Scots,  who  were  hard  pressed  on 
the  other  flank.  In  a  few  moments  the  day  was  won. 
Soon  after,  York  surrendered,  and  Cromwell  w\as  a 
power  in  the  land. 

Meantime,  in  the  south  of  England,  the  king  had 
been  very  successful,  and  had  ca])tured  the  greater 
])art  of  the  main  army  commanded  by  the  I^arl  of 
Essex.  And  even  Cromwell  w^as  not  always  so  fortu- 
nate as  at  Marston  Moor.  At  Newbury,  when  he  and 
Manchester  had  driven  the  king  off  the  field,  Cromwell 
had  bejx^ed  to  be  allowed  to  make  one  charge  with  his 
Ironsides  on  the  retreating  army.  "No,"  said  Man- 
chester, "  if  we  should  beat  the  king  ninety-nine  times, 
he  would  still  be  king,  and  his  posterity  after  him, 
and  wc  should  be  subjects  still;  but  if  he  should  beat 
us  only  once,  wc  should  be  hanged,  and  our  posterity 
undone."      To    CromwxU   this   lukewarmness    seemed 


176 


THE   CIVIL   WARS. 


[1645- 


1646.] 


CHARLES   FLEES  TO  THE   SCOTS. 


177 


little   better   than  treason    to  the  cause  of   freedom. 

What  though  he  should  be  hanged,   if  the  cause  was 

gained.?     As  for  the  king,  Cromwell  declared  that  if 

he  met  him  in  battle,  ''he  would  fire  his  pistol  at  the 

king,   as  at  another."      He  rose  in  his   place   in   the 

House  of  Commons  and  declared:  ''It  is  now  a  time 

to  speak,  or  forever  hold  the  tongue;"  adding,   "  I  do 

conceive  if  the  army  be  not  put  into  another  method, 

and  the  war  more  vigorously  prosecuted,   the  people 

can  bear  the  war  no  longer,  and  will  enforce  you  to  a 

dishonorable  peace."      It  was  determined   to  put   the 

army  into  a  new  method,  and  to  get  rid  of  Manchester, 

Essex,  and  others  who  were  afraid  to  beat  the  king  too 

The  Self,  ^^^^^"^hly-      This  was  done  by  the  passage  of 

OrX"^'    the    "Self-denying    Ordinance,"    depriving   all 

ance        members   of   Parliament  of  their  military  com- 

'  ^^  ■     mands.      The    army    was    also    reorganized,    or 

"new    modelled,"  as   the  phrase  was,  on  the  plan  of 

the   Ironsides.      Fairfax  was  placed  at  its  head.      He 

"The      ^^^^  enlisted  twenty  thousand  "godly,   honest 

New       men,"  never  asking  what  were  their  reli^rious 

Model."  r  i^ 

preterences.  Cromwell  s  presence  was  felt  to 
be  so  necessary  that  the  officers  petitioned  Parliament 
to  relax  the  "Self-denying  Ordinance"  in  his  favor. 
The  request  was  granted,  and  on  June  13  he  rejoined 
his  Ironsides,  who  gave  "a  great  shout  for  joy  of  his 
coming  to  them."  In  truth,  he  came  in  good  time,  for 
the  very  next  day  the  "  New  Model  "  army  met  the  king 
Naseby  ^t  Nascby.  As  at  Marston  Moor,  so  at  Naseby, 
(1645).  Cromwell's  Ironsides  won  the  day.  The  king's 
cause  was  utterly  ruined ;  he  never  found  himself  at  the 
head  of  an  armed  force  again.  But  more  fatal  to  him 
than  the  loss  of  his  army  was  that  of  his  writing-desk, 


which  proved  to  be  filled  with  papers  showing  his 
terrible  faithlessness  to  his  promises  and  his  people. 
The  war  was  virtually  ended  at  Naseby;  but  it  was 
not  until  two  years  had  passed  away  that  Harlech  Cas- 
tle, the  last  royalist  stronghold,  surrendered.  Then, 
at  length,  in  the  words  of  one  of  Charles's  faithful  fol- 
lowers, "  the  conquerors  might  go  to  play,  unless  they 
fell  out  among  themselves."  Unfortunately,  this  last 
was  just  what  they  did. 

The  Puritan  leaders  may  have  expected  that  the 
king,  after  so  many  defeats,  would  yield  to  their  de- 
mands.    But  no  such  idea  seems  to  have  crossed 

.  Charles 

the  mind  of  Charles.     On  the  contrary,  seeking  flees  to 

the  Scots 

refuge  with  the  Scottish  soldiers,  he  tried  by 
promises  to  induce  them  to  take  his  side,  and  to  make 
war  on  their  English  allies.  If  Charles  had  not  de- 
ceived them  already  so  many  times,  they  might  have 
done  as  he  wished;  for  they  were  discontented  at  the 
growing  strength  of  Cromwell  and  his  Ironsides,  who 
were  no  Presbyterians.  As  it  was,  however,  they  put 
no  faith  in  the  word  of  a  king,  and,  on  condition  that 
their  expenses  should  be  paid,  handed  him  over  to  the 
commissioners  of  Parliament.  The  king  now  saw  that 
his  best  course  was  to  come  to  terms  with  the  Pres- 
byterian leaders  in  Parliament ;  so  he  agreed  to  do  what 
they  wished  with  regard  to  religion.  But  this  did  not 
at  all  suit  the  army. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Fairfax  and  Cromwell, 
when  they  enlisted  the  soldiers  of  the  "  New 

...  The 

Model,"  asked  no  man  what  his  religion  was.  indepen- 

dents 

It  turned  out,  however,  that  a  majority  of  the 
soldiers  were,   like  their  great  leader,    Independents. 
That    is,    they   thought   that    every   Christian    had    a 


12 


1/8 


THE  CIVIL   WARS. 


[1647. 


right  to  worship  as  he  saw  fit,  always  excepting  the 
Roman  Catholics.  They  had  no  wish  to  have  a  Pres- 
byterian Church  thrust  upon  the  nation.  So  one 
evening,  before  any  treaty  between  the  king  and  the 
The  Parliament  was  concluded,  an  army  officer  ap- 
"I^Jg  jj^g  peared  at  Holmby  House,  where  the  king  was 
•*'"§•  imprisoned  by  Parliament.  He  called  upon 
the  king  to  accompany  him.  The  next  morning  this 
demand  was  repeated,  as  the  king  had  at  first  refused 
to  comply.  "Where  is  your  commission.**  "  asked  the 
king.  "There,  behind  me,"  answered  Joyce  (for  that 
was  the  officer's  name),  pointing  to  his  soldiers.  "  Your 
instructions  are  written  in  a  very  legible  character," 
said  the  king,  and  he  went  with  the  officer. 

The  army  next  turned  the  Presbyterian  leaders  out 
of  Parliament;  and  when  the  London  mob  interposed 
in  their  favor,  the  army  marched  through  the  City,  and 
put  an  end  to  all  opposition.  Meantime  Cromwell  and 
the  other  officers  had  been  trying  to  get  Charles  to  con- 
sent to  certain  propositions,  securing  to  all  English- 
men, except  the  Roman  Catholics,  freedom  of  worship 
and  a  more  equal  representation  in  Parliament  and  on 
the  juries.  But  Charles,  believing  that  London  would 
prove  too  strong  for  the  army,  refused  his  consent. 
When  he  saw  his  hopes  dashed  to  the  ground,  he 
escaped  from  his  jailers,  and  rode  rapidly  to  the  south  of 
England,  where  he  was  arrested  by  Colonel  Hammond, 
and  locked  up  in  Carisbrooke  Castle,  on  the  Isle  of 
Wight. 

There  now  came  another  attempt  to  induce  the  king 
to  agree  to  a  treaty;  but  before  anything  was  concluded 
it  became  known  that  Charles  was  negotiating  with 
the    Scots.      Indeed,   he   had   promised   that    if   they 


1 648.  J 


BATTLE  OF   PRESTON. 


179 


would  set  him  on  his  throne  again,  he  would  establish 
Presbyterianism  for  three  years  as  the  state  church. 
This  was  perhaps  the  worst  thing  that  he  could  have 
done;  for  however  much  they  differed  among  them- 
selves on  religious  affairs,  the  great  body  of  the  patriots 
was  united  against  having  these  questions  decided  for 
them  by  the  Scots.  They  forgot  their  differences, 
and  bent  all  their  energies  against  the   Scots  Scots 

1*1  V3  (if* 

and  the  Royalists.  But  first  the  soldiers  held  England 
a  prayer-meeting,  and  resolved  that  if  they  were  ^^^^S). 
victorious,  they  would  bring  "  Charles  Stuart,  that  man 
of  blood,  to  account  for  that  blood  he  had  shed,  and 
mischief  he  had  done  to  his  utmost  against  the  Lord's 
cause,  and  people  of  these  poor  nations." 

While   Fairfax   was  beating   the    Royalists   in   the 
eastern  and  southern  counties,  Cromwell  captured  Pem- 
broke, and  then  went  in  search  of  the  Scots.    He 
came  upon  them  near  Preston,  in  Lancashire,  as  Preston 
they  were  marching  southward,  unsuspicious  of      "* 
danger.       They  were    scattered  along  many  miles  of 
road,  and  the  Ironsides  dashed  down  first  on  one  body, 
and  then  on  another,   until,   after  three  days  of  hard 
fighting,  the  Scottish  army  was  no  more. 

Now,  while  the  army  was  thus  employed.  Parliament 
had  been  negotiating  with  the  king.  But  he,  hoping 
even  to  the  last,  had  delayed  too  long  before  yielding. 
The  army  returned  to  London,  and  told  Parliament 
to  stop  their  negotiations,  and  to  bring  the  king  to 
justice.     Parliament  refused.     Then  one  morn- 

.  "  Pride's 

ing  the  members  found  Colonel  Pride's  regiment  Purge" 
surrounding   the    Parliament    House.      Colonel    ^  "^ 
Pride   himself  was  at   the   door,    and  as  fast   as   the 
Presbyterian   members   appeared,   they  were  arrested 


i8o 


THE   CIVIL  WARS. 


[1649 


1649.J 


MASSACRE  OF  DROGHEDA. 


181 


and  taken  to  a  neighboring  tavern.  This  was  repeated 
the  next  day,  until  at  length  the  House  of  Commons 
was  ''purged,"  as  they  called  it,  of  all  members  op- 
posed to  the  army.  The  Commons  then  voted  that 
there  should  be  no  more  debate  with  the  king,  but  that 
he  should  be  brought  to  London  and  tried  for  his  life 
before  a  court  established  for  that  purpose.  The 
Lords  —  for  there  were  twelve  peers  who  still  sat  in 
the  upper  house  —  refused  their  consent.  The  Com- 
mons then  voted  that  the  consent  of  neither  king  nor 
Lords  was  essential  to  legislation.  The  army,  to 
make  sure  of  its  control,  had  again  taken  possession 
of  the  king.  He  was  brought  to  London.  He  refused 
to   recoirnize  the  authority  of   the  court,    and, 

The  ^ 

king  ex-  being  found  guilty  of  treason,  was  beheaded 
^"^  ■  before  his  palace  of  Whitehall  on  the  30th  of 
January,  1649.  Whatever  may  be  thought  of  the  pre- 
vious faults  of  Charles  L,  he  met  his  death  like  a  king. 
In  the  words  of  the  poet,  Andrew  Marvell,  — 

"  He  nothing  common  did  or  mean 
Upon  that  memorable  scene, 

But  with  his  keener  eye 

The  axe's  edge  did  try ; 
Nor  called  the  gods,  with  vulgar  spite, 
To  vindicate  his  helpless  right ; 

But  bowed  his  comely  head 

Down,  as  upon  a  bed." 

The  army  was  now  supreme  in  England  and  Scot- 
land, so  that  Cromwell  was  at  liberty  to  turn  his  atten- 
tion to  Ireland.  The  Puritans  had  never  forgotten  the 
massacres  of  1641 ;  and  the  Irish  had  added  to  the 
hatred  with  which  they  were  regarded,  by  entering 
into  an  engagement  to  fight  in  the  king's  army.     They 


I 


plainly  could  expect  no  mercy  from  the  Ironsides,  and 
they  got  none. 

Cromwell    landed  at    Dublin    in  August,    1649.      A 
month   later   he   took   Drogheda   by   storm.      In   the 
heat  of  the  action  he  ordered  his  soldiers  to  spare  no 
one  found  with  arms  in  his  hands ;  and  so  none  Massacre 
were   spared,   not  even  the   priests,  whom   the  heda'^^^" 
Puritans   hated    with   the   most    bitter    hatred.  (*^49). 
Cromwell  felt  that  some  explanation  was  required  for 
such  a  barbarous  act,  even  in  an  age  when  the  horrors 
of  the  Thirty  Years'  War  in  Germany  were  still  fresh 
in  men's  minds.     So  he  wrote  to  the  Speaker  of  the 
"  Rump,"  as  Parliament  was  called  after  Pride's  Purge, 
that  this  slaughter  was  a  righteous  judgment  upon  the 
Irish  for  the  massacres  of  1641.      He  added  that  the 
remaining  garrisons,  seeing  what  their  fate  would  be 
if  they  resisted  to  the    end,   would    surrender   before 
the  storm,  and  that  thus  bloodshed  would  be  avoided. 
There  may  have  been  some  truth  in  this,  for  the  future 
conquest  was  easy,  and  in  a  few  months  Cromwell  was 
able  to  leave  it  to  other  hands,  and  to  return  to  Eng- 
land, where  his  presence  was  much  needed.      In  the 
end,  the  Irish  were  mainly  driven  out  of  three  of  the 
four    provinces    into    which    Ireland    is    divided,    and 
were  left  to  starve,  as  they  had  left  the  English  set- 
tlers to  starve  years  before.      The  only  difference  was 
that,  as  there  were  more  Irish  than  English,  there  was 
now  more  suffering.      Some  years  later,  the  Irish  again 
tried  to  uphold  the  Stuart  cause,  and  were  again  de- 
feated;   but    the    complete    subjection    of   the    island 
really  dates  from  this  "Cromwellian  settlement." 


I 

J 


182 


THE   COMMONWEALTH. 


[164^ 


1651.] 


BATTLE   OF  WORCESTER. 


183 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 


THE    COMMONWEALTH. 


1 649-1 653. 

THE  Scots  had  never  given  up  the  hope  of  living 
under    a  Presbyterian    ruler;    so    they    invited 
Charles  I.'s  eldest  son,  Prince  Charles,  or  Charles  H., 
as  they  called  him,  to  be  their  king.     He  came;  but 
before  he  was  allowed  to  land,  he  was  compelled 

Charles  , 

11.  in  to  swear  to  the  Covenant  and  to  promise  to  be 
a  good  Presbyterian.  The  young  Charles  cared 
very  little  for  religion,  and  was  very  desirous  of  being 
a  king.  So  he  promised  everything  they  asked  of  him, 
and  was  allowed  to  land  and  to  be  declared  king.  For 
a  time  the  English  leaders  hardly  knew  what  to  do. 
Here  was  a  young  Charles  ready  to  march  through 
England,  and  there  was  every  reason  to  suppose  that 
many  who  had  fought  against  the  old  king  would 
not  fight  against  his  son,  as  he  had  never  yet  done 
anything  despotic,  and  indeed  had  never  had  the 
opportunity.  And  besides,  the  Presbyterian  leaders 
in  the  first  rebellion  were  so  dissatisfied  at  being  gov- 
erned by  the  Independents  in  the  army  that  it  was 
probable  they  would  welcome  the  prince  with  open 
arms  as  a  deliverer.  It  was  therefore  decided  by  the 
English  leaders  that  he  must  be  captured  or  driven 
back  to  France,  and  that  Scotland  must  be  brought 
under  English  rule.      P'airfax  refused  to  lead  the  Eng- 


i 


^ 

^i 

A 


lish  army,  as  he  could  not  see  why  the  Scots  should 
not  manage  their  own  affairs  as  they  chose.  But 
Cromwell  was  of  a  different  way  of  thinking,  and  he 
led  the  army  to  Edinburgh. 

But  the  Scots,  who  had  learned  the  strength  of  the 
Ironsides  at  Preston,  retired  to  the  city,  carrying  with 
them  all  the  food  from  the  surroundini^:  countrv. 

^  1111  11  '         ^  Battle  of 

Cromwell  dared  not  attack  them  in  their  strong:  Dunbar 
position,  and  retreated  to  Dunbar,  where  he  ^ 
could  get  provisions  from  his  fleet.  The  Scots  fol- 
lowed, and  posted  themselves  on  top  of  a  hill,  where 
Cromwell  could  not  get  at  them,  and  whence  they 
could  attack  him  whenever  a  good  chance  offered,  and 
especially  if  he  should  try  to  march  back  to  England. 
At  last  it  seemed  that  their  opportunity  had  come. 
So,  late  one  afternoon,  when  they  thought  Cromwell 
could  not  see  them,  they  descended  the  hill,  and  pre- 
pared to  surprise  him  the  next  morning.  But  he  had 
seen  them;  and,  as  they  were  setting  out  on  their 
march  to  surprise  him,  the  Ironsides  burst  upon  them, 
and  in  one  short  hour  swept  the  Scottish  army  to  utter 
ruin. 

The  next  winter  and  spring  Cromwell  passed  in 
Scotland,  capturing  some  strong  places,  and  trying  to 
force  into  action  another  army  which  the  young  king 
had  raised.  The  Scots  were  too  wary  for  him,  and  sud- 
denly turning  southward,  they  marched  into  England. 
Charles  probably  hoped  that  his  father's  friends  would 
rally  to  his  aid.  But  they  had  been  so  roughly  treated 
after  Preston  that  they  dared  not  show  their  Battle  of 
faces.  Cromwell  overtook  the  Scots  at  Wor-  ^^°^^^^' 
cester,  and  after  a  severe  fight  routed  them.  ('^sO- 
Almost  alone,  and  after  many  hair-breadth  escapes,  the 


1 84 


THE  COMMONWEALTH. 


[1652. 


young  prince  found  his  way  to  the  sea-coast,  and  thence 
to  France.  It  is  related  that  during  his  flight  he 
sought  refuge  amidst  the  leaves  of  a  wide-spreading 
oak;  and,  until  within  the  recollection  of  men  now 
living,  he  who  wished  to  show  respect  to  the  Stuart 
cause  would  hang  an  oak-branch  over  his  doors.  But 
the  victory  at  Worcester  put  an  end  for  a  time  to  the 
hopes  of  the  exiled  prince.  It  was  indeed,  as  Crom- 
well said,  "a  crowning  mercy;"  for  it  was  the  last 
battle  of  the  civil  wars.  So  long  as  the  best-dis- 
ciplined army  of  the  day  remained  of  one  mind, 
and  under  the  guidance  of  the  greatest  commander 
of  his  time,  no  one  dared,  after  this,  to  oppose  it  in 
battle. 

Upon  the  death  of  Charles  I.,  Parliament  had  de- 
clared that  there  should  be  no  more  kings  in  Eng- 
land. In  the  future  the  country  should  be  governed 
by  a  Parliament  of  one  house.  They  called  this 
new  form  of  government  **The  Commonwealth."  In 
reality,  however,  it  was  no  republic,  but  a  government 
by  an  oligarchy,  or  small  number  of  persons.  For  what 
with  "Pride's  Purge,"  and  the  abolition  of  the  House 
of  Lords,  the  Long  Parliament  had  dwindled  down  to 
The  ^n  assembly  of  only  about  fifty  members,  the 
parHa-  Rump  Parliament,  as  it  was  called.  Now,  among 
ment.  thcsc  there  were  many  dishonest  men,  who  voted 
to  exempt  from  confiscation  the  property  of  any  Royal- 
ists who  paid  them  a  sufficiently  large  bribe.  This, 
of  course,  made  all  honest  men  very  angry. 

After  the  great  victory  at  Worcester,  Cromwell  put 
himself  at  the  head  of  this  opposition.'  He  and  the 
army  demanded  that  there  should  be  a  new  election. 
The  "  Rump  "  seemed  to  agree  to  this.     But  one  day 


1652.J 


THE   RUMP   PARLIAMENT. 


185 


?i 


j« 


JOHN    MILTON,   THE   PURITAN    POET. 

Cromwell  found  that,  in  spite  of  promises  which  the 
leaders  had  made  to  him,  they  were  about  passing  a 
bill  to  make  themselves  members  of  the  new  Parlia- 


i84 


nil:   COMMONWEALTH. 


[165.. 


young  prince  found  his  way  to  the  sea-coast,  and  thence 
to  I'Vance.  It  is  related  that  durin«;  his  HiL;ht  he 
sou-ht  refuge  amidst  the  leaves  of  a  wide-spreading 
oak;  and,  until  within  the  recollection  of  men  now 
living,  he  who  wished  to  show  respect  to  the  Stuart 
cause  would  han^r  an  oak-branch  over  his  doors.  Hut 
the  victory  at  Worcester  put  an  L-nd  for  a  time  to  the 
hopes  of  the  exiled  ])rince.  It  was  indeed,  as  Crom- 
well saitl,  "a  crownin-  mercv ;  "  for  it  was  the  last 
battle  of  the  civil  wars.  So  long  as  the  best-dis- 
ciplined army  of  the  day  remained  of  one  mind, 
and  under  the  guidance  (»f  the  greatest  commander 
of  his  time,  no  one  dared,  after  this,  to  oppose  it  in 
battle. 

Upon  the  death  of  Charles  T.,  I'arliament  had  de- 
clared that  there  should  be  no  more  kings  in  bjig- 
lantl.  In  the  future  the  country  should  be  g(>VL'rned 
by  a  Parliament  of  one  house.  They  called  this 
new  form  of  i-'overnment  "The  Commonwealth."  In 
reality,  however,  it  was  no  republic,  but  a  government 
by  an  oligarchv,  or  small  number  of  [)ersons.  I'\)r  what 
with  "Pride's  Purge,"  and  the  abolition  of  the  House 
of  Lords,  the  Long  Parliament  had  dwindled  down  to 
'n,e  an  assembly  of  only  about  fifty  members,  the 
Kn'iia-  J^i-1'iip  Parliament,  as  it  was  called.  Now,  among 
nient.  thcsc  thcrc  wcrc  manv  dishonest  men,  who  voted 
to  exempt  from  coutiscation  the  property  of  any  Roval- 
ists  who  paid  them  a  sufficiently  large  bribe.  This, 
ot  course,  made  all  honest  men  \ery  angrv. 

After  the  great  victory  at  Worcester,  Cromwell  ])ut 
himself  at  the  head  of  this  oi)position.  He  and  the 
army  demanded  that  there  sliould  be  a  new  election. 
The  "  Rump  "  seemed   to  agree   to   this.       Hut   one  day 


105J.J 


1 111:    KLMI'    rARLI.\.Mi:.\r. 


IS 


lllllnimilllljIICIIIIIIIIMIIIIHIIIHIIIMHIIIMMIMIIIIIIIIIIIIMllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllMIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIinillN KIIIIIMIIIIlrilllllllllllllll 


1 


ioni  trjfi^lej  5ttut:6%. 


j<'ii\   Mii/roN,   iiii:  I'lkiivw   |.,  .1  1 


Cromwell  found  that,  in  spiti'  of  ])romises  which  the 
leaders  had  made  to  liiin,  thr\  wcir  about  pa^sini;-  a 
bill   to   make   thcmsi'lws   members   of  thr   nrw   P;irlia- 


r  nfiilfiiirmiiinini  mhrwi  nin    m       i  m>« 


>J»-  ■.i««^ai&i'WS5Sk 


1 86 


THE   COMMONWEALTH. 


[1653- 


»653-] 


THE  INSTRUMENT  OF   GOVERNMENT. 


187 


ment,  whether  they  should  be  re-elected  or  not.     Crom- 
well thereupon  went  into  the  House,  and  standing  in 
his  place,  accused  them  of  dishonesty.      He  declared 
that  they  had  forfeited  the  respect  of  the  coun- 

The  "^  * 

"Rump" try,  and  had  no  right  to  sit  longer.  Then,  call- 
O65V  ^"g  i^  his  soldiers,  he  turned  them  out,  and 
locked  the  door.  No  one  was  sorry  for  them, 
and,  as  Cromwell  said,  "  We  did  not  hear  a  dog  bark 
at  their  going."  The  army  officers  then  formed  a 
council  of  state,  and  upon  their  advice  Cromwell,  as 
head  of  the  army,  summoned  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  of  the  leading  Puritans  to  London  to  help  him 
govern  the  country. 

Years  after,  when  it  had  become  the  fashion  to  laugh 
at  the  Puritans,  people  called  this  assembly  *'  Bare- 
Bare-  bone's  Parliament,"  after  Praise-God  Barebone, 
^Ha^  a  wealthy  leather-dresser  who  had  a  seat  in  it. 
ment.  }3y^  ^jj  j^-^  members  were  not  mechanics,  nor 
did  they  all  bear  such  grotesque  names.  Yet  they 
had  little  practical  ability,  and  by  trying,  in  a  few 
short  weeks,  to  reform  the  abuses  of  a  hundred  years, 
they  accomplished  nothing,  and  were  glad  to  resign 
their  power  into  the  hands  of  Cromwell. 

The  army  officers  next  drew  up  an  *'  Instrument  of 
Government,"  or  constitution,  as  we  should  now  call 
The  it.  Some  time  before,  Cromwell  had  declared 
that  "a  settlement  with  somewhat  of  monarchi- 
cal power  would  be  very  effectual."  And  this 
constitution  made  the  chief  ruler  a  monarch  in 
reality,  though  only  called  Lord  Protector.  He  had 
all  executive  power,  although  he  was  obliged  to  con- 
sult his  council  of  state  upon  important  matters.  The 
power  to  raise  money  and  to  make  laws  was  given  to  a 


Instru- 
ment of 
Govern- 
ment 

('653). 


1  i 


Parliament  of  one  house,  which  was  to  meet  once  every 
year.  But  the  Lord  Protector  and  the  Council,  when 
the  Parliament  was  not  sitting,  could  make  temporary 
laws,  to  which  the  consent  of  Parliament  must  be 
obtained  at  its  next  session. 

It  was  impossible  that,  during  these  civil  wars,  lit- 
erature and  art  should  flourish,  as  had  been  the  case 
during  the  great  reign  of  Elizabeth;  but  John  Milton, 
the  Puritan  poet,  has  always  ranked  second  among  the 
great  poets  of  England. 


WAGON   OF  THE  SECOND   HALF   OF  THE   SEVENTEENTH   CENTURY 

FROM  LOGO  AN 's  Oxofilii  Illustrata. 


I 


1 86 


11 1 E   COMMON WEA ETI I . 


[i6 


5j 


ment,  whether  they  should  be  re-elected  or  not.     Crom- 
well thereupon  went   into  the   House,  and  standing  in 
his  place,  accused  them  of  dishonesty.       He  declared 
that  they  had  forfeited  the  respect  of  the  coun- 

'1  lie 

••Kiimp"try,  and  had  no  right  to  sit  longer.     Then,  call- 

fxpellfd     ....  1  I  •  1  "1^       1  1 

(i633>.  iiig-  in  his  soldiers,  he  turned  them  out,  and 
locked  the  door.  No  one  was  sorry  ft)r  them, 
and,  as  Cromwell  said,  "  \\V-  did  not  hear  a  dog  bark 
at  their  going."  The  army  officers  then  formed  a 
council  ot  state,  and  upon  their  advice  Cromwell,  as 
head  of  the  army,  summoned  about  one  hundred  and 
fitty  of  the  leading  Turitans  to  London  to  help  him 
govern  the  country. 

Years  after,  when  it  hail  become  the  fashion  to  laugh 
at  the  Puritans,  people  called  this  assembly  "  Bare- 
ijare-  boiic's  I'arl iamciit, "  after  I'raise-God  Barebone, 
PariV-  ^  wealthy  leather-dresser  who  had  a  seat  in  it. 
inent.  j^^j^  .^^]\  [[^  members  were  not  mechanics,  nor 
tlid  they  all  bear  such  grotesque  names.  Yd  they 
had  little  practical  ability,  and  by  trying,  in  a  few 
short  weeks,  to  reform  the  abuses  of  a  hundred  years, 
they  accomj)lished  nothing,  and  were  glad  to  resign 
their  power  into  the  hands  of  Cromwell. 

The  army  officers  ne.vt  drew  up  an  "  Instrument  of 
Government,"  or  constitution,  as  we  should  now  call 
The  it.  Some  time  before,  Cromwell  had  declared 
nieiiu.f  that  "a  settlement  with  somewhat  of  monarchi- 
(.overn-  |  power  woulil  bc  verv  effectual."  And  this 
('^'5:>)-  constitution  made  the  chief  ruler  a  monarch  in 
reality,  though  only  called  Lord  Protector.  He  had 
all  executive  power,  although  he  was  obliged  to  con- 
sult his  council  of  state  upon  important  matters.  The 
power  to  raise  money  and  to  make  laws  was  given  to  a 


•653-] 


THE   INSTRUMENT   OF   GOVERNMENT. 


187 


Parliament  of  one  house,  which  was  to  meet  once  every 
year.  But  the  Lord  Protector  and  the  Council,  when 
the  Parliament  w^as  not  sitting,  could  make  temporary 
laws,  to  which  the  consent  of  Parliament  must  be 
obtained   at   its  next  session. 

It  was  impossible  that,  during  these  civil  wars,  lit- 
erature and  art  should  flourish,  as  had  been  the  case 
during  the  great  reign  of  Elizabeth;  but  John  Milton, 
the  Puritan  poet,  has  always  ranked  second  among  the 
great  poets  of  England. 


w.vc.oN  OK  thp:  sk<'(jnd  half  of  the  seventeenth  century 
FROM   i.ouciAN's  Oxoiiiii  /llustrata. 


i88 


THE   PROTECTORATE. 


[1653- 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 


THE    PROTECTORATE. 


1653-1659. 

OF  course,  there  was  but  one  man  who  could  have 
secured  the  support  of  the  army,  and  that  man 
was  Oliver  Cromwell.  So  he  was  invested  with  the 
office  of  Lord  Protector  with  as  much  pomp  and  cere- 
oiiver,  mony  as  ever  had  been  witnessed  at  the  corona- 
protec-  ^^^^  ^^  *^  king.  In  fact,  since  the  days  of  the 
tor.  "Grand  Remonstrance,"  Oliver  had  procured  a 
new  tailor;  and  one  writer,  who  describes  him  as 
being  at  first  harsh  and  rough,  says  that  he  now  pos- 
sessed **a  great  and  majestic  deportment,  and  a  comely 
presence." 

Oliver's  first  Parliament  came  together  in  Septem- 
ber, 1654,  and  immediately  denied  the  legality  of  the 
new  constitution.  The  Protector,  after  a  little  while, 
went  to  them  and  told  them  that  if  the  "  Instrument  of 
Government  "  was  illegal,  they  had  no  business  there. 
He  then  excluded  all  who  did  not  agree  to  recognize 
his  government,  and,  as  soon  as  the  constitution 
allowed,   dissolved  the  Parliament  itself. 

Scarcely  had  these  over-zealous  republicans  left  the 
House  when  two  Royalists,  Wagstaff  and  Penruddock, 
rode  into  Salisbury  at  the  head  of  about  two  hundred 
men.  They  turned  out  the  judges,  who  were  then 
holding  a  court  in  that  town,  but  they  gained  nothing. 


1655.] 


WAR   WITH   HOLLAND. 


189 


for  a  troop  of  Ironsides,   which  chanced  to  be  in  the 
neighborhood,  soon  killed  or  captured  most  of  them. 
This  little  rising  convinced  Cromwell  that  the  Royal- 
ists needed  to  be  watched  with  greater  care;    so   he 
divided  England  into  military  districts,  to  each    The 
of  which    he   assigned   a  major-general    and   a   '"^J^''- 
sufficient  number  of  soldiers.      The   Royalists   ('^'55)- 
were  made  to  pay  the  cost  of  this  supervision;  but  the 
major-generals  acted  so  harshly,  "  like  so  many  Eastern 
Bashaws,"  that    all  good    people   were   offended.      In 
addition,   Cromwell    held    it    necessary  to  forbid   the 
celebration  of  divine  service  according  to  the  Episco- 
palian rites,  as  he  thought  that  such  meetings  were 
the  rallying  points  of  those  hostile  to  his  rule.     But 
this  order  was  never  strictly  carried  out,  and  meetings 
in  private  houses  were  seldom  suppressed.     The  open- 
ing chapters  of  Scott's  novel,  "Peveril  of  the  Peak," 
give  a  graphic  description  of  the  condition  of  affairs  in 
England  at  this  time. 

When  Cromwell  became  Protector  he  found  England 
at  war  with  Holland.  It  might  seem  at  first  sight  that 
as  both  countries  were  inhabited  by  Protestants. 

War 

and  had  similar  governments,  they  would  have  with 
been  good  friends.      But  this  was  not  so,   for     °  ^"  * 
they  were  commercial  rivals.     It  chanced,  too,  that  at 
this  time  the  P^nglish  were  trying  to  get  the  carrying 
trade  away  from    the    Dutch,    and,    under  the  lead  of 
Sir  Harry  Vane,  once  governor  of  Massachusetts,  Par- 
liament had  passed  a  Navigation  Act,  compelling  Eng- 
lish merchants  to   import  goods   in   English  vessels, 
or  else  in  those  of  the  country  where  the  goods  were 
produced.     This  was  aimed  directly  at  the  Hollanders, 
and  the  two  nations  were   soon  at  war.     The   Dutch 


]?vi^!lflaisC»4f   «  ijri.>f->j*'it«V9i«tu.. 


I90 


THE   PROTECTORATE. 


[1657. 


1658.] 


DISSOLUTION   OF   PARLIAMENT. 


191 


fleet  was  very  strong,  and  soon  drove  the  English 
ships  into  harbor.  Then  the  Dutch  admiral,  Van 
Van  Tromp,  sailed  up  and  down  the  English  Channel 
Tromp    ^'^Yi  a  broom  lashed  to  his  masthead,  to  show 

and  1  •    1     r  i- 

Blake,  that  he  was  able  to  sweep  the  English  from  the 
seas.  But  this  did  not  last  long;  for,  after  a  series 
of  desperate  sea-fights,  Admiral  Blake  compelled  the 
Hollanders  to  cease  their  opposition  to  the  Navigation 
Act,  and  to  salute  the  English  flag  in  the  "narrow 
seas  "  surrounding  the  British  Isles. 

Cromwell  and  Blake  then  turned  their  attention  to 
the  Spaniards,  who  had  been  harboring  Prince  Rupert 
and  his  privateers.  Blake  soon  stopped  that  proceed- 
ing; and  Admiral  Penn,  father  of  Penn,  founder  of 
Pennsylvania,  failing  to  capture  San  Domingo,  seized 
the  island  of  Jamaica;  while  still  another  fleet  took 
possession  of  some  Spanish  treasure-ships  which  had 
so  much  silver  on  board  that  it  took  thirty-eight 
wagons  to  convey  it  through  the  streets  of  London. 

It  required  a  great  deal  of  money  to  fit  out  these 
fleets  and  to  pay  the  sailors.  Cromwell  could  have 
wrung  this  from  the  Royalists  by  the  aid  of  his  major- 
generals,  but  he  preferred  to  get  it  in  a  more  consti- 
tutional way  from  a  Parliament.  No  one  was  allowed 
to  sit  in  this  Parliament  who  was  hostile  to  him,  and 
therefore  he  had  little  difficulty  in  getting  the  money 
he  wanted.     In  return,  he  recalled  the  major- 

The  ^      (i  T^      ' 

Petition  generals.  The  Parliament  then  adopted  a  Peti- 
Advice  tion  and  Advice  "  to  the  Lord  Protector,  which 
^*^^^^*  was  really  nothing  but  an  amendment  to  the 
constitution.  In  some  ways  this  restricted  the  Pro- 
tector's powers;  in  others  enlarged  them.  It  provided 
also  for  a  new  body  to  take  the  place  of  the  old  House 


i 


of  Lords,  gave  Cromwell  the  right  to  name  his  succes- 
sor, and  asked  him  to  take  the  title  of  king.     This  last 
he  refused,  as  the  soldiers  did  not  wish  him  to  accept  it. 
The  new  House  of  Lords  did  not  turn  out  well.    In  the 
first  place,  not  many  of  the  old  peers  were  willing  to 
sit  in  it,  and  some  of  those  created  by  Cromwell  hardly 
deserved  the  distinction.     Then  again  the  new  House 
of  Commons,  which  was  elected  to  work  with  it,  called 
it  in  contempt  "The  Other   House,"  and  refused   to 
have  anything  to  do  with  it.      In  an  angry  speech,  ex- 
claiming,   "The    Lord  judge  between  you  and  me," 
Cromwell  dissolved  the  Parliament.     For  the  remainder 
of  his  life  he  ruled  England  by  the  strength  of  the 
army  and  by  the  silent  consent  of  a  majority  of  the 
people. 

If  Cromwell  was  strong  enough  at  home  to  rule 
without  a  Parliament,  that  "greatness  was  but  a  shadow 
of  his  glory  abroad. "  He  became  the  head  of  Protes- 
tant Europe,  and  his  alliance  was  sought  by  the  great- 
est monarchs  of  the  time.  He  decided  to  support 
France  in  her  war  with  Spain.  The  Ironsides,  under 
the  generalship  of  the  great  French  commander, 
Turenne,  proved  irresistible.  Dashing  over  fortifica- 
tions that  had  before  been  thought  impregnable,  they 
scattered  the  best  infantry  of  Spain,  just  as  they  had 
routed  Prince  Rupert  and  his  Cavaliers  years  before. 
Dunkirk  was  turned  over  to  Cromwell  as  the  price  of 
his  assistance. 

This  was  Oliver's  last  triumph  on  earth.  It  was 
in  the  same  summer  (of  1658)  that  George  Fox,  the 
Quaker,  interceded  with  him  on  behalf  of  his  fellow 
Quakers.  "Before  T  came  to  him,"  wrote  Fox,  "as 
he  rode  at  the  head  of  his   Life   Guards,   I  saw  and 


192 


THE   PROTECTORATE. 


[1658. 


1660.] 


MONK'S   POLICY. 


193 


felt  a  waft  of  death  go  against  him;  and  when  I  came 
to  him  he  looked  like  a  dead  man."     In  truth, 

Death  of  .  ,  ,  ,       ,  u  •  4. 

Cromwell  anxicty  and  private  sorrow  had  worn  him  out ; 
^'^^^^'  and  on  the  3d  of  September,  as  the  anniversary 
of  Dunbar  and  Worcester  was  drawing  to  a  close,  he 

died. 

We  might  almost  wish  that  Cromwell  had  died  at 
Worcester  fight.  Then  he  would  have  come  down  to 
us  as  the  leader  of  the  victorious  army  in  the  cause  of 
freedom.  As  Protector,  he  was  the  slave  of  a  party, 
the  army;  and  he  ruled,  not  as  he  desired,  but  as  the 
army  wished.  The  minds  of  Strafford,  Cromwell,  and 
Laud  were  cast  in  the  same  mould.  The  first  and  last 
tried  to  force  upon  England  forms  of  government  and 
religion  which  it  had  outgrown.  Cromwell,  many 
years  in  advance  of  his  time,  tried  to  force  upon  his 
countrymen  the  government  and  religion  of  the  future. 
Both  attempts  were  failures,  for  successful  revolutions 
are  not  made  in  that  way. 

At  first  it  seemed  as  if  the  revolution  was  to  last 
longer  than  Cromwell,  and  his  eldest  son,  Richard, 
succeeded  him  as  quietly  as  ever  a  king's  son  had 
succeeded  his  father.  But  this  quiet  did  not  last  long. 
A  new  Parliament,  attempting  to  assert  its  power  over 
the  army,  was  turned  out  of  the  Parliament  House. 
Richard  then  tried  to  rule  the  army,  and  it  put  an  end  to 
the  protectorate.  The  officers  meantime  had  brought 
back  the  '*  Rump. "  But  the  members  of  that  body  had 
learned  nothing  by  experience.  They,  too,  tried  to  gov- 
ern the  army,  and  they,  ere  long,  were  turned  out  by  it. 

The  officers  then  governed  the  country  without  any 
attempt  at  concealing  their  usurpation.  Men  of  all 
parties  began  to  sigh  for  a  settled  form  of  government. 


Even  then  the  army  might  have  maintained  itself,  if 
it  had  remained  united.  Fortunately  for  English  lib- 
erty,  however,  the  troops  in  Scotland,  under  General 
Monk,  could  not  see  what  right  their  fellow-soldiers 
in  England  had  to  rule  over  them.  So  they  marched 
to  London,  where  they  found  the  "  Rump  "  once  more 
in  place. 

Now,   however,    there    came   another  complication. 
The   Londoners  refused   to  pay  taxes   levied   by  the 
"Rump,"  on  the  ground  that,  as  their  members   Monk's 
had   been   excluded   at   the    time    of    "Pride's  p^^"^^-^ 
Purge,"  they  were  not  represented  in  the  Parliament, 
and  therefore  were  not  bound  to  pay  any  taxes  levied 
on  its  authority.     The  army  easily  put  down  this  little 
rebellion.     But   Monk   saw   clearly   enough   that   the 
mass  of  the  nation  was  impatient  of  the  rule  of  the 
army;  so  he  declared  for  a  free    Parliament.      It   is 
possible  that  he  did  this  because  he  thought  that  the 
return  of  the  Stuart  family  would  aid  his  own  advance- 
ment.    At  all  events,  many  people  were  delighted  at 
the  prospect  of  getting  rid  of  the  army  and  the  "  Rump  " 
and  fell  to  roasting  rumps  of  beef  on  the  street  corners 
in  London  with  such  vigor  that   Pepys,  who  wrote  a 
diary  of  the   events  of  this   period,    relates   that   he 
counted  thirty-six   fires  at  one  time.     The  Presbyte- 
rians once  again    took  their  places  in   the  House  of 
Commons,  and  after  making  provision  for  a  new  elec- 
tion, the  Long  Parliament  dissolved  itself  on  March 
16,  1660. 

At  this,  the  most  favorable  time  he  could  have 
chosen,  Charles  H.  issued  a  Declaration  from  the 
little  town  of  Breda,  in  Holland,  where  he  was  then 
living.      In    this    declaration    he    offered    a    general 

13 


fl 


.''<Jaii3a!aa,^-itoKafeft-.'  :■- . 


'  »  ^^ik.^.f  K        In      ^      t      -^       >-?»fc 


194 


THE   PROTECTORATE. 


[1660. 


1660.J 


PURITAN  IDEAS. 


195 


pardon  to  all  who  should  not  be  excepted  by  Parlia- 
ment from  forgiveness,  assured  holders  of  the  confis- 
The  cated  Royalist  estates  that  they  should  not  be 
Restora-  disturbed  in  their  possessions,  and  promised  to 

tion  £    w  ^'     ' 

(1660).  persecute  no  one  on  account  01  nis  religion. 
The  new  Parliament  came  together  in  April,  and  at  once 
invited  the  young  Charles  to  return  to  England,  and 
sent  a  fleet  to  convey  him  to  his  native  land.  He  em- 
barked on  the  flag-ship,  whose  name  he  changed  from 
"Naseby"  to  ''Charles,"  and  after  a  pleasant  voyage 
entered  London  on  the  anniversary  of  his  birth.  May 

29,  1660. 

"  Oh,  the  twenty-ninth  of  May, 

It  was  a  glorious  day, 

When  the  king  did  enjoy  his  own  again ! " 

Scott's  novel  of  "Woodstock"  gives  an  animated 
description  of  this  scene. 

The  army  that  had  so  fiercely  beaten  Charles  at 
Dunbar  and  Worcester,  now  disunited  and  powerless, 
received  him,  and  then  dispersed.  But  even  then  the 
Ironsides  showed  how  unlike  ordinary  soldiers  they 
were ;  for  instead  of  becoming  paupers  and  a  burden 
on  the  community,  they  resumed  their  old  occupations; 
and  if  one  saw  a  particularly  industrious  farmer  or 
mechanic,  it  might  very  well  happen  that  he  would 
turn  out  to  be  one  of  Cromwell's  old  soldiers. 

Many  persons  suppose  that  the  Puritans  made  severer 
laws  than  any  persons  who  had  ruled  England  before 
Puritan  them,  and  that  the  time  of  the  Commonwealth 
''^^^'  and  Protectorate  was  a  period  of  great  intol- 
erance in  religious  matters.  But  this  is  quite  untrue. 
On  the  contrary,  the  Puritan  state  was  in  most  respects 
more  tolerant  and  humane  than  any  previous  English 


government  had  been,  and  many  great  legal  reforms 
date  from  that  time.     After  1558  no  person  was  ever 
burned  in  England  for  his  religious  opinions,  —  a  thing 
which  had  before  been  common,  — and  no  one  was  put 
to  death  in  any  way  for  such  opinions,   except  when 
returning  to  England  after  being  previously  banished. 
Of  course  this  fell  very  far  short  of  complete  tolera- 
tion, but  it  was  a  great  advance  on  what  had  been  the 
earlier  custom.      Cromwell,  moreover,  allowed  Jews  to 
live  in  England  for  the  first  time  since  the  reign  of 
Edward  I.     Torture  was  abolished  as  a  means  of  ob- 
taining confession,  though  it  lasted  nearly  a  century 
longer  in  most  European  countries,  and  was  legal  in 
one  German  state  down  to  183 1.    The  principles  of  the 
Habeas  Corpus  Act  were  established  under  the  Com- 
monwealth, although  the  Act  itself  did  not  follow  until 
later,  as  will  hereafter  be  shown.     It  also  became  the 
practice  to  examine  all  witnesses  in  open  court,  instead 
of  condemning  men,  as  had  sometimes  before  been  done, 
upon  evidence  taken  in  secret.     All  these  were  great 
steps  in  human  progress.      And  though  the  Puritans 
forbade  some  innocent  amusements,  yet  that  was  but 
a  trifle  compared  with  what   they  did  to  reform  the 
terrible  cruelty  of  the  early  English  courts. 


■"^B 


I^AjtK...  &>-.■■.  ..»^-^.^.i-.-.--.^.    .^-Al  ..lu'aJ 


196 


THE   RESTORED   STUARTS. 


[1660. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

THE    RESTORED    STUARTS. 

I 660-1 688. 

r-HARLES  II..  the  "restored"  king,  and  his  prin- 
C    cipal  adviser,  Edward  Hyde.  Earl  of  Clarendon, 
now  acted  as  though  nothing  had  happened  smce  1641. 
They  even  called  the  first  law  that  was  passed  after 
Z       the  "Restoration,"  the  Act  of  the  12th  year  of 
^-'-  Charles's  reign,  just  as  if  he  had  been  re.gnmg 
ch-ies    since  1649.     Now  it  was  easy  enough  to  print 
l'6^r-such  a  figure  in  a  book,   and  to  make  beheve 
that  all  the  laws  of  the  Protectorate  and  the  Long  Par- 
iament  were  no  laws  at  all.     But  the  Cavaliers  soon 
found  that  it  would  be  as  easy  to  make   everybody 
around  them  really  twenty  years  younger  as  to  undo 
all  the  work  of  those  twenty  years;  so  they  found  it 
necessary  to  confirm  many  of  the  laws  of  that  period, 
among  the  rest  the  Navigation  Act.     They  found,  too, 
that  it  was  impossible  to   revive  many  old   customs 
which  had  gone  out  of  use  while  there  was  no  king  in 
Enc^land.     Thus,  in  old  times,  the  king  had  the  right 
to  make  the  heiresses  of  the  great  landowners  marry 
any  one  who   pleased  him,  whether  the  bride   liked 
the  man  or  not.     This  and  other  similar  rights  had 
bound  the  landowners  to  the  king,  and  had  made  it 
advisable   for   them  to  be   attentive   to  him,   and  to 
vote  as  he  wished   in  Parliament.     These  rights  were 


1660.] 


THE  RESTORATION. 


197 


now  swept  away  in  a  legal  manner,  and  it  was  soon 
found  that  the  ties  which  had  hitherto  bound  the  coun- 


CHARLES   II.:   PROM  THE   PORTRAIT  BY   SIR   PETER   LELY   IN 
CHRIST'S   HOSPITAL,   LONDON. 

try  gentry  to  the  king  were  greatly  loosened.     Before 
long,  indeed,  a  country  party  began  to  be  formed  to 


19^ 


lilt    KESTUKEU    STLARTb. 


1^1 600. 


CllAlTKR   XXVllI. 

THE    KESTURi:i>   iTUAKTS. 
1660-lOiiS. 

r-HARLI'S  H.,  the  "restored"  ki.v^,  and  his  prin- 
C     cipal  .dviser,  Edward  Hyde,  K.rl  ..t  Clarendon, 
now  acted  us  though  nothin,^  hud  hu,.pened  s.nce  .64.. 
•l-hev  even  called  the   first   law  that  was  passed  utte 
'      '     the  "Restoration,"  the   Act  of  the  ,.nh  year  ot 
'<--   Charles's  rei.^n,  just  as  if  he  had  been  re.gn.ng 
'•'-•■■^    since    1649.      N-v   it  was  easy  enough  to  print 
'.!;i5)"'such   a  figure   in   a  book,   and  to  make  beheve 
that  all  the  laws  of  the  protectorate  and  the  Long  iat- 

1    ...  ;,  -,11       Hut  the  Cavahers  soon 
liament  were  no  laws  at  all.      but  „,.k,u1v 

,,„„,   that    U    would    be   as   easy   to   make    evu)b     > 
around  them   really  twenty  years  younger  as  to  undo 
all  the  work  of  th..se  twenty  years;  so  they  found    t 
nccessarvto  confirm  many  of   the  laws  of  that  per.od, 
amon.^  the  rest  the  Navigation  Act.     They  found,  too, 
that  Tt   was   impossible   to    revive   many   old    customs 
which  had  gone  out  of   use  while  there  was  no  king  in 
iMvland.     Thus,  in  old  times,  the  king  had  the  right 
to  make  the  heiresses  of  the  great  landowners  marry 
any  one  who    pleased   him,    whether    tlie    bride    liked 
the  man  or  not.      This  and  other  similar  rights  had 
bound  the   landowners  to  the  king,   and  had   made   it 
advisable    for    them    to   be    attentive    to    him.    and   to 
vote   as   he  wished    in  I'arliament.      These  rights  were 


i6Cb.] 


TIIK   KESTORATKiX, 


'97 


now  swei)t  away  in  a  legal  manner,  Rn<\   it   was  soon 
found  that  the  ties  which  liad  hitherto  bound  the  coun- 


riI,\RI,F.S    II.;    FROM    TMF.    PORTRAIT    l!V    SIR    I'F.TFR    IFLV    IN 
CHRIST'S    IhlSPITAI.,    l.r  ,v|,i  ,N', 

try  gentry  to  the  king  were  greatly  loosened.      IV'fore 
long,  indeed,   a  country  jiarty  began   to  be  formed  to 


198 


THE   RESTORED   STUARTS. 


[1660. 


1661.] 


THE  CAVALIER   PARLIAMENT. 


199 


oppose  the  king  and  his  courtiers  by  their  votes  in  the 
Commons. 

During  the  civil  wars  the  lands  of  the  Church,  of  the 

king,  and  of  the  Royalists  had  been  mostly  confiscated. 

The  king  and  the  Church  now  had  their  estates 

Act  of  => 

indem-  rcstorcd  to  them,  but  the  poorer  Royalists  were 
Oblivion  left  to  rccover  theirs  as  best  they  might  through 
^*  °^'  the  courts  of  law.  If  a  sale  of  any  kind  could 
be  proved,  they  could  not  get  their  estates  again. 
Even  when  they  did  recover  their  homes  they  could 
not  collect  any  rent  for  the  use  of  their  farms  and 
houses  during  all  these  years.  Moreover,  all  who  had 
taken  part  in  the  Great  Rebellion,  except  the  king's 
judges  and  a  few  others,  were  pardoned.  These  things 
were  done  by  what  is  called  "An  Act  of  Oblivion  and 
Indemnity  to  those  who  had  taken  part  in  the  late  dis- 
orders." But  the  disappointed  Cavaliers  declared  that 
it  was  an  Act  of  indemnity,  or  reward,  for  the  Puritans, 
and  of  oblivion,  or  forgetfulness,  for  the  services  of  the 
king's  friends. 

Many  of  those  who  had  borne  a  prominent  part  in 

the  execution  of  Charles  I.  were  imprisoned  for  life, 

thirteen    were    hanged,    while    others   escaped, 

Trie 

Regi-  some  to  Switzerland,  some  to  New  England. 
"  ^*  These  last  could  never  be  found,  though  the 
king  sent  the  strictest  orders  for  their  arrest,  and 
although  we  now  know  a  good  deal  about  their  move- 
ments in  this  country.  The  most  unjust  execution 
was  that  of  Sir  Harry  Vane.  He  had  not  got  on 
well  with  Cromwell,  and  had  taken  little  part  in  the 
events  of  the  past  few  years;  but  he  was  such  an  out- 
spoken republican  that  the  king  was  afraid  of  him,  and 
he  was  beheaded.     Yet  when  one  considers  how  many 


^ 


were  guilty  of  treason  and  murder  in  the  eyes  of 
Charles  and  the  Royalists,  fourteen  executions  seem  a 
very  small  number,  compared  with  the  practice  of  ear- 
lier kings.  Indeed,  some  years  later,  when  the  gov- 
ernor of  Virginia  crushed  a  little  rebellion  in  that 
colony,  Charles,  in  alluding  to  it,  declared  that  "the 
old  fool  has  taken  away  more  lives  in  that  naked  coun- 
try than  I  for  the  murder  of  my  father. " 

In  the  day  of  their  triumph  the  Presbyterians  had 
often  treated  the  Episcopalians  with  harshness;  and 
if  they  expected  that  the  Episcopalians,  whom 
they  had  restored  to  power,   would  treat  them   Ja^uer 
as  friends,  they  soon  found  that  all  such  expec-   ^^''^'^' 
tations   were   vain.      It  was    in   the   spring   of  ^^661- 
166 1   that  the  new  Parliament  came  together.    ^ 
The  House  of  Commons,  elected  in  the  midst  of  the 
reaction  against  the  Puritans,  was  so  completely  in  the 
hands  of  the   Royalists  that   it  went  by  the  name  of 
the  Cavalier  Parliament.      Later  on  its  members  be- 
came so  corrupt  that  they  took  bribes  from  all  sides, 
and  it  then  was  called  the  Pensioned  Parliament. 

The  first  law  against  the  Presbyterians  and  Indepen- 
dents was  called  the  Corporation  Act,  because  by  it 
all  but  Episcopalians  were  turned  out  of  the 
offices  in  the  cities.  The  next  year  came  the  SnTt 
Act  of  Uniformity,  requiring  all  ministers  and  ^'^^'^• 
teachers  who  did  not  accept  everything  in  the  Episcopal 
service-book  to  leave  their  places.  Two  years  later  all 
religious  meetings,  other  than  those  of  the  Episcopali- 
ans, were  declared  illegal  by  the  Conventicle  Act.  By 
these  laws  all  the  Puritans  had  been  driven  from  the 
schools  and  churches.  It  so  happened  that  the  very 
next  year  (1665)  a  dreadful  disease,  called  the  Plague, 


^aaia»^J^.-->fa-Wa^i«J'i*ia^'«^-^a^,<tol^ 


200 


THE   RESTORED   STUARTS. 


[1665. 


raged   with  fearful  violence   in   London.      Every  one 
who  was  able  to  leave  the  city  ran  away  as  fast  as  he 
could.     Among  the  first  to  seek  safety  in  flight 
Plague    were  the  ministers  of  the   Episcopal   Church. 
(1665).     ^j^^  Nonconformists  thought  it  a  pity  that  the 
poor  in  London  should  die  without  the   consolation 
which  a  minister  alone  can  give,  and  they  took  the  pul- 
pits left  vacant  by  their  persecutors.     Their  reward  for 
this  heroism  was  the  Five-Mile  Act,  which  forbade  any 
minister  who  had  not  subscribed  to  the  Act  of  Uni- 
formity from  coming  within  five  miles  of  any  place  in 
which  he  had  once  been  a  minister.      To  make  sure 
that  these  various  laws  were  carried  out,  a  single  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  without  any  jury,  was  given  author- 
ity to  try  and  convict  these  people,  and  to  sentence 
them  to  transportation   for  seven  years  to   any  place 
outside  of  England,  except  to  New  England,  for  there 
they  would  find  friends  and  sympathizers. 

It  is  difficult  to  describe  the  sufferings  of  these  pious 
men.     But  Richard  Baxter,  one  of  their  number,  has 
left  the  following:  "  Many  hundred  of  them,  with  their 
wives   and   children,   had   neither  houses   nor   bread. 
Some  lived  on  little  more  than  brown  bread  and  water, 
many  had  but  eight  or  ten  pounds  to  maintain  a  family, 
so  that  a  piece  of  flesh  has  not  come  to  one  of  their 
tables  in  six  weeks'  time.     Many,  being  afraid  to  lay 
down  their  ministry  after  they  had  been  ordained  to  it, 
preached  to  such  as  would  hear  them  in  fields  and  pri- 
vate houses  till  they  were  seized  and  cast  into  jails, 
where  many  of  them  perished."     The  result  of  this 
cruelly  no  one  foresaw  at  the  time;  for  in  the  end, 
instead  of  converting  the  Puritans  to  the  Established 
Church,   it  gave  them  a  hatred  for  that  Church,  and 


1666.] 


THE   GREAT   FIRE. 


201 


they  ceased  to  regard  themselves  as  a  part  of  it.  They 
formed  little  churches  of  their  own,  and  from 
Nonconformists  became  Dissenters,  or  people  Disten- 
outside  of  the  regular  Church.  The  Episcopa-  ^^^' 
lians,  finding  that  the  Dissenters  no  longer  wished  to 
change  the  forms  of  the  Episcopalian  service,  relaxed 
law  after  law,  until  now  religion  is  as  free  in  England 
as  in  our  own  land,  except  that  the  Episcopal  Church 
is  established  by  law  as  the  State  religion,  and  the 
various  forms  of  dissent  are  only  tolerated. 

The  Great  Plague  was  in  1665.     In  September  of  the 
next  year  many  of  those  who  had  escaped  the  plague 
saw  their  homes  and  places  of  business  burned    The 
down  by  the  Great  Fire  of  London,  without  beino-   S'^^' 

'  '^^^^t)     Fire 

able  to  save  anything.  The  fire  began  in  the  shop  (»666). 
of  a  French  baker,  near  the  end  of  London  Bridge.  In 
those  days  the  houses  were  built  of  wood,  and  thatched 
with  straw.  A  furious  east  wind  fanned  the  flames, 
and  before  the  fire  could  be  stopped  by  destroying 
houses  in  its  path,  London,  from  the  Tower  to  the 
Temple,  and  from  the  river  in  some  places  a  mile 
inland,   was  in  ashes. 

Baxter  has  left  us  a  vivid  picture  of  this  event : 

"  It  was  a  sight  that  might  have  given  any  man  a  Hvely 
sense  of  the  vanity  of  this  world,  and  all  the  wealth  and  glory 
of  it,  and  of  the  future  conflagration  of  all  the  world.  To  see 
the  flames  mount  up  to  heaven  and  proceed  without  restraint ; 
to  see  the  streets  filled  with  the  people  astonished,  that  had 
scarce  sense  left  them  to  lament  their  own  calamity ;  to  see 
the  fields  filled  with  heaps  of  goods,  and  sumptuous  buildings, 
curious  rooms,  costly  furniture,  and  household  stuff",  yea,  ware- 
houses and  furnished  shops  and  libraries,  all  in  a  flame,  and 
none  durst  come  near  to  receive  anything ;  to  see  the  king 


202 


THE   RESTORED   STUARTS. 


[1666. 


1670.J 


THE   SECRET  TREATY  OF  DOVER. 


203 


and  nobles  ride  about  the  streets,  beholding  all  these  desola- 
tions,  and  none  could  afford  the  least  relief." 

So  wide  was  the  sympathy  excited  by  this  great  ca- 
lamity that  collections  were  taken  up  in  the  New  Eng- 
land churches  for  the  relief  of  the  sufferers;  and  those 
of  Charlestown,  Mass.,  alone  sent  ^105  sterling. 

Meantime  the  English  and  Dutch  had  again  come  to 
blows  about   their  commercial  interests.      This   time 
the  Dutch  were  successful.     They  entered  the 
^t'the  Thames,  and  sailing  into  the  Medway,  burned 
Oelt     Sheerness  and  the  shipping  at  Chatham.     They 
^^7)-     then  blockaded  the  mouth  of  the  Thames  for 
some  weeks,  although  at  the  peace  which  followed, 
they  confirmed  England  in  her  possession  of  the  New 
Netherlands,  which  were  now  called  the  Province  of 
New  York,    in  honor  of  James,    Duke  of  York,   the 
king's  brother.     Now  the  English  people  did  not  at 
all  like  such  defeats.     They  soon  discovered  that  much 
of  the  money  which  Parliament  had  voted  for  the  carry- 
ing on  of  the  war  had  gone  into  the  pockets  of   the 
worthless  men  and  women  by  whom  Charles  was  sur- 
rounded.    They  were  too  loyal  to  accuse  the  king  of 
stealing,  but  they  fell  heavily  on  Clarendon,  who  had 
managed  to  offend  all  parties.      Knowing  that  many  of 
his  acts  would  not  bear  investigation.  Clarendon  fled  to 
the  Continent,  and  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life  in 
writing  his  attractive,  though   untrustworthy,  history 
of  the  Great  Rebellion.     The  Commons  then  declared 
that  no  more  money  should  be  voted  unless  an  ofificer 
in  whom  they  had  confidence  should  have  the  spending 
of  it.     This  was  a  very  serious  limitation  of  the  king's 
authority,  and  Charles  resisted  as  long  as  he  dared. 
But  the  Commons  were  in  earnest,  and  as  he  above 


i 


all  did  not  wish,  as  he  expressed  it,  to  ''set  out  on 
his  travels  again,"  he  yielded  to  their  demands,  and 
a  great  step  towards  parliamentary  government  was 
taken. 

There  were  many,  too,  who  remembered  the  victo- 
ries of  the  great  Puritan  Admiral  Blake.  They  con- 
trasted the  gayety  and  license  of  the  present  time  with 
the  morality  of  the  past,  and  ''did  not  stick  to  say  that 
things  were  better  ordered  in  Cromwell's  time,  for 
then  seamen  had  all  their  pay,  and  were  not  permitted 
to  swear,  but  were  clapped  into  the  bilboes,  and  if  the 
officers  did  they  were  turned  out,  and  then  God  gave  a 
blessing  to  them."  In  those  old  days  Cromwell  had 
been  the  arbiter  of  all  Europe.  Charles  II.  was  now 
the  paid  servant  of  the  King  of  France. 

Louis  XIV.,  who  was  then  on  the  French  throne, 
wished  to  make  France  the  foremost  country  in  Europe. 
As   a  step   in   this  attempt  he  determined   to 
seize  the   little  strip  of  land  on  the  north  of  Sec^ret 
France  which  we  now  call  Belgium,  but  which  DoveT^ 
was  then  known  as  the    Spanish    Netherlands.  ^'^^°^* 
Spain  was  too  weak  to  offer  much  opposition,  but  Hol- 
land was  strong,  and  did  not  at  all  relish  the  thought 
of   having   France   for   such   a   near   neighbor.      Now 
Louis  saw  that,  although   as  rivals   in  business,  the 
English  and  Hollanders  might  quarrel,  yet  as  fellow- 
Protestants  it  was  hardly  probable  that  England  would 
stand  still  and  see  Holland  defeated  by  France.     He 
therefore  offered  Charles  a  considerable  sum  of  money 
if  he  would  help  him  against  the  Dutch,  and  declare 
himself  a  Catholic.    Charles  agreed,  by  a  secret  treaty, 
signed  at  Dover  in  1670,  to  do  both  these  things,  for 
he  wanted  money,  and  was  at  heart  a  Catholic.     Louis 


204 


THE  RESTORED   STUARTS. 


(1673. 


1678.] 


POPISH   PLOT. 


205 


then  invaded  Holland.  But  the  sturdy  Hollanders  were 
not  easily  beaten.  The  young  Prince  of  Orange  was 
given  the  command.  He  cut  the  dikes,  and  let  the 
waters  of  the  ocean  flow  over  the  country,  except 
where  the  walls  of  the  towns  kept  them  out.  And 
the  French,  to  avoid  being  drowned,  ran  away  as  fast 
as  they  could.  The  English  people  now  forced  Charles 
to  make  peace  with  the  Dutch.  Some  years  after  this, 
the  Prince  of  Orange,  William  by  name,  came  over  to 
England,  and  married  the  eldest  daughter  of  the  Duke 
of  York.  We  shall  meet  with  him  again,  for  he  after- 
wards became  King  of  England. 

Nor  did  Charles  succeed  much  better  in  an  attempt 
to  make  things  easier  for  the  English  Catholics.     In 
1672  he  issued  what  was   called  a  Declaration 
tto'S'or  of  Indulgence,  because  by  it  the  king  gave  notice 
genet     to  the  Catholic  and  Protestant  Dissenters  that 
<'*'^'-    the   laws   aimed    against    them  would    not    be 
carried  out.    These  last  might  have  accepted  this  in- 
dulo-ence   for   themselves;    but   when    it  was   offered 
to  the  Catholics  also,  the  Dissenters  refused  to  take 
any  advantage  of  it.     Moreover,  they  joined  with  the 
Episcopalians  in  Parliament,  and  compelled  the 
T^'t  Act  king  to  recall  it.     They  even  went  further,  and 
"*"^'     passed   the   Test  Act,   requiring  all   the   great 
officers  of  state  to  take  part  in  the  service  of  the  Eng- 
lish Church  or  resign.      This  was  especially  aimed  at 
the  Duke  of  York,  who  was  supposed  to  be  a  Catholic, 
and  he  acknowledged  the  truth  of   the  suspicion  by 

resigning.  r    .     c        4. 

It  may  be  that  even  then  the  existence  of  the  becret 

Treaty  of  Dover  was  known,  by  which  Charles  had  sold 

himself  to  the  French  king.       But  the  full  extent  of 


4 


his  infamy  was  not  known  until  the  spring  of  1678, 
when  Ralph  Montague,  then  English  minister  to 
France,  suddenly  appeared  in  his  place  in  the  Com- 
mons, and  read  a  letter  ordering  him  to  tell  Louis 
that,  if  he  would  pay  Charles  ;£'24,ooo  a  year  for  three 
years,  England  would  remain  neutral  in  the  war  which 
France  was  then  waging  against  Holland.  A  post- 
script to  this  letter  was  in  the  king's  own  handwriting, 
and  the  date  of  the  letter  was  only  five  days  after  the 
Commons  had  actually  voted  money  to  enable  Charles 
to  aid  the  Dutch.  Naturally  the  whole  nation  was 
furious.  The  Commons  could  not  touch  the  king,  but 
they  impeached  Danby,  the  Secretary  of  State. 

It  was  while  the  people  were  thus  wrought  up  that 
Titus  Gates  appeared  before  Sir  Edmondsbury  God- 
frey, and  on  his  oath  declared  that  the  Roman 

"  Popish 

Catholics  were  plotting  to  murder  the  king,  in  Plot" 
order  to  put  the  Catholic  James,  Duke  of  York,  ^'^^^^* 
on  the  throne.  In  ordinary  times  no  one  would  have 
placed  any  confidence  in  what  Gates  said,  for  he 
was  a  miserable  wretch,  and  James  was  so  unpopular 
that  Charles  said  to  him,  "  No  one  will  murder  me  to 
set  you  on  the  throne."  But  these  were  no  ordinary 
times,  and  a  few  days  later  the  excitement  grew  into 
a  perfect  frenzy  when  Sir  Edmondsbury  Godfrey  was 
found  on  a  lonely  hillside  with  a  sword  sticking  into 
his  lifeless  body.  To  this  day  no  one  really  knows 
whether  he  killed  himself  or  was  murdered.  At  the 
time,  however,  most  Englishmen  believed  that  the 
Catholics  had  killed  him,  and  were  very  ready  to  be- 
lieve anything  that  Titus  Gates  might  say.  There 
may,  indeed,  have  been  some  truth  in  the  story.  At 
any  rate,   many  Catholics  were  executed,  and  because 


»^-^  ■■  -"'"ii<hikia:»<vai,aaiiia^iii>*»»i^agaa^ 


206 


THE  RESTORED   STUARTS. 


[1679. 


Gates  had  declared  that  the  London  fire  had  been  the 
work  of  Catholics,  a  lying  inscription  to  that  effect 
was  placed  on  the  monument  which  marks  the  spot 
where  it  was  first  discovered.  This  inscription  was 
taken  down  at  James's  accession.  It  was  replaced 
after  the  Revolution  of  1688,  and  was  not  finally 
removed  until  183 1.  Even  more  unjust  was  a  law 
excluding  Catholics  from  Parliament;  and  this  was 
not  repealed  till   1829. 

The  Cavalier  Parliament,  which  had  been  so  loyal  at 
its  first  assembling,  had  now  become  very  hostile  to 
Habeas    the  king.     He  dissolved  it,  and  a  new  Parlia- 
Corpus    j^ent  met  in  March,  1679.     This  lasted  for  less 
0679)-     than  three  months;  but  in  that  short  time   it 
passed  one  of  the  most  important  laws  in  the  whole 
history  of  the    English  race.     This  was  the   Habeas 
Corpus  Act.     Of  course,  ever  since  the  days  of  Magna 
Charta,  every  free  Englishman  had  possessed  in  theory 
the  right  to  a  speedy  trial.     But  in  practice  so  many 
obstacles  could  be  interposed  that  the  right  was  often 
denied.     By  this  Act  any  judge  was  obliged  to  grant 
at  any  time  a  writ,  or  paper,  addressed  to  the  jailer, 
ordering  him  to  produce  his  prisoner  in  court  at  such 
a  time,  and  to  show  cause  why  the  prisoner  should  not 
be  released.     The  judge's  order,  or  writ,  began  with 
the  Latin  words  Habeas  corpus,   meaning,  "You  must 
have  the  body  of  such  a  person  before  me  at  such  a 
time,"  etc.      It   is  therefore   called  a  writ  of  habeas 
corpus.     The  judge   and  jailer  were  subject  to  heavy 
fine  if  they  disobeyed  the  Act ;   and  therefore  since 
that  time  no  one  has  been  imprisoned  in  England  for 
any  length  of  time  without  a  good  reason.     In  times 
of  great  public  excitement,  Parliament  has  sometimes 


liiiiSii 


Mhg-----"^""-  •"-- 


1683.] 


RYE  HOUSE  PLOT. 


20^ 


suspended  the  operation  of  the  Act,  thereby  giving  the 
Government  power  to  keep  suspected  persons  in  jail, 
even  when  a  clear  case  could  not  be  made  out  against 
them. 

This  Act  was  really  passed   because   people  were 
afraid  of  the  Roman  Catholic  James;  and  they  even 
went  further,  and   tried  to  exclude  him  from 
the  succession  to  the  throne.      Unfortunately,  s^on  bhis 
instead  of  naming  the  next  heir,   the  Princess  ^'^^°'^'^* 
Mary  of    Orange,  they   named    a  worthless    illegiti- 
mate son  of  Charles,   the  Duke  of   Monmouth.     The 
scheme  fell  through ;  but  the  struggle  gave  rise  to  two 
party  names  that  have  ever  since  been  famous.      It 
seems  that  the  Presbyterians  in  the  west  of  Scotland 
were  called  "Whigs."     The  name  spread  to  England, 
and  was  applied  by  the  courtiers  in  derision  to  their 
opponents.      These   in   turn   called    the  king's   men 
"Tories, "—  a  name  under  which  some  wild  Irish  Catho- 
lics had  plundered  their  Protestant  neighbors.     And 
as  Whigs  and  Tories  the  two  parties  have  been  known 
until  recent  times;  and  the  same  names  were  formerly 
used  for  political  parties  in  America. 

The  bill  to  exclude  James  failed,   and  then  there 
was  a  reaction    in  favor  of  the  king.      Indeed,  for  a 
while  it  seemed  as  though  the  times  of  Charles'  Rye 
I.  and  his  policy  of  "Thorough"  had  returned.    ^j°f^ 
Some   of   the    Whigs,    driven   to    desperation,    <^^^^)' 
planned  to  kill   the   king  at  a  lonely  spot  near  the 
Rye    House.      The   plot   was    discovered,    and    Lord 
Russell   and   Algernon    Sydney  — to   whom   we   owe 
the  motto   on   the  shield  of  one  American   State  — 
were  unjustly  executed,  while  the  Earl  of  Essex  killed 
himself  in  prison.      The  defeat  of  this  plot  greatly 


208 


THE   RESTORED   STUARTS. 


[1685. 


Strengthened  the  hands  of  the  king  and  he  was  fast 
becoming  as  absolute  as  his  father,  when  he  died  On 
htsdeath  bed  he  professed  himself  a  Roman  Cahohc. 
As  he  had  no  lawful  descendants,  his  brother  James, 
Duke  of  York,  became  king. 

The  first  thing  James  the  Second  did  was  to  revenge 

himself  on  Titus  Gates  and  his  fellow  informers  for 

the   lies  they  had   told   about    the    Catholics. 

|r6T-"'They  were  whipped  so  severely  that  one  of  them 

'^*'-     died.     But  Gates  had  strength  to  survive  and 

be  forgotten.  ,         ,_  ,,■ 

The  king  then  undertook  to  suppress  the  rebellion 
which  had  broken  out  in  the  North  and  West.     In  the 
North  the  revolt  was  easily  subdued,  and  Argyle,  the 
leader,  executed.     But  the  rising  in  the  southwest  of 
England,    where   Monmouth   had   put  himself  at  the 
head  of  a  considerable  army,  was  not  so  easily  quelled. 
Indeed    it  seemed  for  a  short  time  as  if  the  young 
king —  for  such  Monmouth  declared  himself  to  be  — 
would   succeed.      His   soldiers,   however,   were 
Battle  of  ly  armed  and  led.    They  were  beaten  in  the 

mtf     battle  of  Sedgemoor,  which  should  be  remem- 
^'^*'^'    bered  as  the  last  battle  fought  on  English  soil. 
Monmouth  himself  was  found  partially  concealed  in  a 
ditch,  and  was  taken  to  London  and  executed,  although 
he  begged  on  his  knees  that  his  father's  brother  would 
grant  his  life.     The  king  then  ordered  the  persecution 
and  death  of  all  who  had  in  any  way  helped  the  un- 
fortunate duke.      It  is  impossible  to  say  how  many 
were  killed,  but  in  one  county  two  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  persons  were  hanged.      Probably  at  least  four 
hundred  lost  their  lives,  and  as  many  more  were  sold 
into  slavery.      All  this  was  done  by  a  judge  named 


1685.] 


THE  BLOODY  ASSIZE. 


209 


Jeffreys,  at  a  session  of  court  which  has  ever  since 
been  called  "The  Bloody  Assize."  The  name  of 
Jeffreys  has  always  been  infamous  in  consequence  of 
these  trials;  but  it  is  now  admitted  that  he  was  not 
more  harsh  and  brutal  than  was  the  custom  of  English 
judges  at  his  day.  There  was  then  a  great  deal  of 
cruelty  and  brutality  in  the  habits  of  the  English  race, 
and  the  courts  shared  this  bad  character. 


YEOMEN  OF  THE  GUARD:  FROM  SANDPORD's  Coronation  Procession 

of  James  II, 


208 


THE   RESTORED   STUARTS. 


[1685. 


Strengthened  the  hands  of  the  k.n,s  and  he  .as  fa. 
becoming  as  absolute  as  his  father,  when  he  died      On 
hs  death-bed  he  professed  h.mself  a  Roman  Ca  hohc. 
As  he  had  no  lawful  descendants,  his  brother  James, 
Duke  of  York,  became  king. 

The  first  thing  James  the  Second  did  was  to  revenge 

himself  on  Titus  Gates  and  his  fellow  informers  for 

the   lies   they   had   told   about    the    Cathohcs. 

|?r-"-They  were  whipped  so  severely  that  one  of  them 

'"=*''•      died.      Hut  Gates  had  strength  to  survive  and 

be  forgotten.  ,    n- 

The  king  then  undertook  to  suppress  the  rebellion 
which  had' broken  out  in  the  North  and  West.  In  the 
North  the  revolt  was  easily  subdued,  and  Argyle,  the 

»    1       Hilt  the  risin"-  in  the  southwest  ot 
leader,  executed.      15ut  the  risin„ 

England,  where  Monmouth  had  put  h.mself  at  the 
hea°d  of  a  considerable  army,  was  not  so  easily  quelled. 
Indeed  it  seemed  for  a  short  time  as  if  the  young 
kin..-' for  such  Monmouth  declared  himself  to  be  — 
°  would  succeed.  His  soldiers,  however,  were 
B.,ttic  of  J    armed  and  led.    They  were  beaten  in  the 

S"     battle  of  Sedgemoor,  which   should  be  remem- 
^"'''''     beretl  as  the  last  battle  fought  .)n  ICnglish  soil. 
Monmouth  himself  was  found  partially  concealed  .n  a 
ditch,  and  was  taken  to  London  and  executed,  althougli 
he  be<-ed  on  his  knees  that  his  father's  brother  would 
caanttis  life.     The  king  then  ordered  the  persecution 
and  death  of  all  who  had  in  any  way  helped  the  un- 
fortunate duke.      It   is   impossible  to  say  how  many 
were  killed,  but  in  one  county  two  hundred  and  thirty- 
three   persons  were  hanged.      Probably  at   least  four 
hundred  lost  their  lives,  and  as  many  more  were  sole 
into  slavery.      AH  this  was  done  by  a  judge  named 


1 


I6S5.J 


THE   JJLOODV   ASSIZE. 


209 


Jeffreys,  at  a  session  of  court  which  has  ever  since 
been  called  "The  Bloody  Assize."  The  name  of 
Jeffreys  has  always  been  infamous  in  consequence  of 
these  trials;  but  it  is  now  admitted  that  he  was  not 
more  harsh  and  brutal  than  was  the  custom  of  English 
judges  at  his  day.  There  was  then  a  great  deal  of 
cruelty  and  brutality  in  the  habits  of  the  English  race, 
and  the  courts  shared  this  bad  character. 


YEOMEN  OF  THE  GUARD:    FROM  .sandford's  Coronation  Procession 

of  James  If. 


J  .AUMaBMSuow. 


^'^^^m^ 


2IO 


THE  GLORIOUS   REVOLUTION. 


[1688. 


1688.] 


THE   SEVEN  BISHOPS. 


211 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

THE    "glorious    REVOLUTION*'    OF    1688-1689. 

AS  soon  as  Monmouth  was  fairly  out  of  the  way, 
James  threw  off  the  mask,  and  devoted  all  his 
energies  to  making  England  a  Roman  Catholic  coun- 
try.    Though  the  Test  Act  declared  that  no  one  but  an 
Episcopalian  could  hold  office,  James  appointed 
The.case  g-^.  g^ward  Halcs,  a  Roman  Catholic,  colonel 
Edward    Qf  a   regiment.       The   judges,    who   had   been 
appointed  for  this  very  purpose,  declaring  that 
the  king  could  waive  the  penalties  of  a  statute  in  a 
particular  case.  Sir  Edward  Hales  retained  his  place 
until  he  became  governor  of  the  important  fortress  and 
prison,    London  Tower.       Roman   Catholics  were  by 
degrees  given  places  in  the  Privy  Council,  the  univer- 
sities, and  even  in  the  English  Church  itself. 

In  1598  Henry  IV.  of  France  had  issued  the 
Edict  of  Nantes,  giving  the  French  Protestants  equal 
political  rights  with  the  French  Catholics,  and 
tTonT  securing  to  them  a  certain  measure  of  religious 
of' ^^'' freedom.  Louis  XIV.  revoked  this  edict  in 
Nantes,  ^^g^  j^  jg  ^^[^  that  fifty  thousand  Hugue- 
not families  fled  from  France.  Many  of  them  took 
refuge  in  England,  and  set  up  the  silk  manufac- 
ture in  the  Spitalfields,  now  a  part  of  London.  They 
were  very  poor,  and  a  collection  was  authorized  in 
their  behalf  in  the  churches.     But  King  James  was  so 


afraid  that  the  ministers  would  tell  the  truth  about  the 
way  these  poor  people  had  been  treated  that  he  ordered 
the  clergy  not  to  preach  against  the  Roman  Catholics. 
The  Bishop  of  London,  refusing  to  punish  one  of  his 
subordinates  who  had  disobeyed  this  order,  was  him- 
self summoned  before  a  new  and  illegal  High  Commis- 
sion Court,  and  suspended  from  office. 

Now  James  determined  to  go  one  step  farther,  and 
grant  general  liberty  of  conscience  to  all  Englishmen, 
whether  Protestants  or  Roman  Catholics.     This 
was  entirely  different  from  dispensing  with  a   ^onT 
single  statute  in  a  particular  case.     It  is  proba-   genets 
ble  that  James  hoped  to  gain  the  Dissenters  to   ^'^^^^• 
his  side  by  this  Act.    A  few,  indeed,  took  advantage  of 
It.    But  it  shows  the  bitterness  of  religious  hostility  at 
that  time  that  the  great  mass  preferred  to  suffer  all  the 
rigors  of  the  law  rather  than  to  see  the  Roman  Catho- 
lics well  treated.     The  clergy  had  been  ordered  to  read 
the  declaration  to  their  congregations,  as  that  was  the 
easiest  way  of  making  it  generally  known.     The  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury  and  six  bishops  petitioned  the 
king  not  to  insist  on  their  reading  it.     He  did  insist 
however,  and  the  declaration  was  read  by  a  few  minis- 
ters who  were  too  timid  to  refuse.     As  for  the  arch- 
bishop  and   his  companions,   the   Seven   Bishops    as 
they  were   called,   James  had  them  arrested,  on 'the 
ground  that  their  petition  was  a  seditious  libel.     They 
were  taken  to  the  Tower,   where  the  Catholic 
Sir  Edward  Hales  was  sure  to  keep  them  safe,  ieven 
But    the    people    were    on    their   side.     Even  ^'''^''^'' 
the  soldiers  on  guard  at  the  gateway  of  the  Tower 
knelt  before  them,  asking  their  blessing.     Later  they 
drank  to  their  good  health  and  acquittal.     The  excite- 


^AVaSlntitfttt-' .'--.  isn'/itf.  Ji', 


212 


THE  GLORIOUS   REVOLUTION. 


[1688. 


1688.] 


WILLIAM   LANDS. 


213 


ment  spread  to  the  remotest  corners  of  England;  and 
the  Cornish  miners  declared  their  intention  of  march- 
ing to  London  and  rescuing  their  beloved  bishop, 
Trelawney,    one   of   the   seven.      They   sang  a  song 

beginning,  — 

"  And  shall  Trelawney  die? 
And  shall  Trelawney  die  ? 
Then  thirty  thousand  Cornish  men 
Will  know  the  reason  why." 

This  sympathy  was  not  confined  to  the  Episcopalians. 
The  Nonconformists  visited  the  Tower,  as  did  also  an 
enormous  number  of  persons  of  all  grades  and  ranks, 
from  the  peers  down  to  the  humblest.  It  was  in  the 
midst  of  this  excitement  that  the  king's  Catholic  wife 
gave  birth  to  a  son  who  is  known  in  history  as  the 
Old  Pretender. 

No  one  but  Catholics  had  been  present  at  the  birth, 
and  the  English  people  generally  declared  that  the 
boy  was  no  son  of  the  king's,  but  some  spu- 
p?e'tenl^  rious  child  palmed  off  on  them  by  the  Jesuits. 
'^"'-  It  was  plain  that  the  child,  if  he  was  the  real 
son  of  James,  was  the  heir  to  the  English  throne,  to 
the  exclusion  of  the  Protestant  Mary  of  Orange,  wife 
of  the  heroic  William.  So  the  people,  especially  the 
Whigs,  refused  to  believe  that  he  was  a  genuine  son, 
and  determined  to  rebel  at  the  first  good  opportunity. 

Every  one  was  now  waiting  to  hear  the  result  of  the 
trial  of  the  Seven  Bishops.  For  a  long  time  the  jury 
wavered.  Eleven  of  the  twelve  were  for  ac- 
lev'en  quittal.  The  twelfth  was  the  king's  brcwcr.  He 
?cqu&  said  that  he  should  be  ruined  if  he  voted  against 
(1688).    ^^^  ^jj^g      g^^t  ^e  was  at  length  brought  over, 

and  the  verdict  of  "  Not  guilty  "  was  received  with  an 


enthusiasm  witnessed  but  once  in  a  century.     Even 
the  royal  army,  which  James  had  brought  to  London 
to   put   down  a  rising,   should   there  be  one,   showed 
by  their  cheers  that  their  sympathies  were  with  the 
people.     The  Patriot  leaders  saw  that  now  at  last  the 
time  had  come  to  act.     Admiral  Herbert,  dis- 
guised as  a  common  sailor,  set  out  for  Holland,  ^nvita- 
He  was  the  bearer  of  a  letter  signed  bv  the  most  ^'^^^  f° 
influential  among  the  Whigs  and  Tories,  asking 
William  to  come  to  England  to  protect  the  rights  of 
his  wife  against  the  spurious  son  of  James,  and  to  save 
England  from  a  Catholic  tyranny. 

William  joyfully  accepted  the  invitation.  He  loved 
his  wife,  and  did  not  wish  her  to  be  deprived  of  her 
rights.  But  above  all,  he  desired  to  be  king  of 
England,  that  he  might  use  England's  strength,  both 
of  men  and  money,  in  the  grand  struggle  he  was 
making  against  the  power  and  ambition  of  Louis  XIV. 
of  France. 

Everything  favored  William.     His  proclamation  was 
received  with  rejoicings,  while  the  concessions  made 
by  James  were    looked   on  with    suspicion,   as   wiiiiam 
people    saw   that   they   had    been    extorted   by   ^^"^'*- 
fear.     Louis,  too,  offered  to  help  James,  by  attacking 
William,  and  thus  keeping  him  at  home  in  Holland. 
But  James  scornfully  refused,   and  the   French  king, 
in  a  rage,   sent  his  army  into    Germany.       Even   the 
winds   helped  William;  for,   though  at  first   adverse, 
the  breeze   soon  became  favorable,  and  then  increas- 
ing, the  strong  east  wind  —  "  the  Protestant  east  wind, " 
as  they  used  to  call  it,  —drove  William's  ships  safely 
through  the  English  Channel,  while  at  the  same  time 
it  kept   the  English  fleet  cooped  up  in  the  Thames. 


i| 


MjejSEJ^ifeiJ&waifc..^, 


»:r>v  ^fic-Ax;  jn^ 


214 


THE  GLORIOUS   REVOLUTION. 


[1688. 


1689.] 


DECLARATION   OF   RIGHTS. 


215 


William  landed  at  Torbay,  in  Devonshire,  on  the  5th 
of  November,  1688,  the  anniversary  of  the  Gunpowder 

Plot. 

For  several  days  no  prominent  men  jomed  him,  ana 
it  is  said  that  he  was  on  the  point  of  returning  to 
Holland,  when  they  began  to  come.  Among  the 
1:T  first  to  arrive  was  Lord  Churchill,  afterwards 
^'^^^  the  celebrated  Duke  of  Marlborough.  His  wife 
was  the  most  intimate  friend  of  the  Princess  Anne. 
And  so  it  fell  out  that  when  Lord  Churchill  deserted 
his  master,  the  Princess  Anne  ran  away  from  her 
father.  "  God  help  me ! "  cried  the  abandoned  James, 
"even  my  children  have  forsaken  me."  So  he  sent 
his  wife  and  son  to  France,  and  then  escaped  himself. 

Unluckily,   however,   some  fishermen  caught  sight 
of  him  as  he  was  leaving  the  shore.     Mistaking  him 
for  the  Jesuit  Father  Petre,  they  seized   him. 
Sought    Soon  he  was  in  London   again,— much  to  the 
^'^'       dismay  of  William,  who  would   have   had   the 
field  all  to  himself  if  he  could  have  said  that  James  had 
deserted  his  people.      James  was   easily  scared  away 
again,  however,  and  care  was  taken  this  time  that  he 
should  not  be  stopped.      Louis  received  him,  and  gave 
him  a  palace  to  live  in.     But  the  means  used  to 
j?coi>     get  rid  of  him  seemed  to  many  good  people  so 
''"'•        very  much  like  force  that  they  took  his  side,  and 
were  called,    from   James's    Latin   name  of    Jacobus, 

Jacobites. 

William  now  summoned  the  Peers,  and  all  who  had 
sat  in  the  House  of  Commons  during  the  reign  of 
Charles  the  Second,  to  meet  him  at  Westminster 
and  advise  him  as  to  what  he  should  do.  Upon 
their  advice  he   summoned   a    Parliament,  though    it 


f 


was  called  a  Convention  for  the  time  being.    It  met  on 
the  14th  of  March,  1689,  and  after  some  discussion  of- 
fered the  crown  to  Mary.     But  she  was  too  loyal 
to  her  husband  to  accept  it,  and  he  on  his  part   Conven- 
declared  that  he  would    not  be  his  wife's  ser-   *^°"* 
vant.    So,  after  more  discussion,  the  crown  was  offered 
to  William  and  Mary  as  king  and  queen;  William  to 
have  control  of  affairs.     At  the  same  time  the 
Lords  and  Commons  presented  a  Declaration  of  tion  of ' 
the  Rights  of  the  people  of  England.    The  main  ^'^^^'• 
points  of  this  great  declaration,  which  was  afterwards 
made  into  a  regular  law,  were  that   the  king  had  no 
power,  without  consent  of  Parliament,  (i)  to  dispense 
with  the  laws,  (2)  to  raise   money,  or  (3)  to  keep  a 
standing  army.     It  was  further  declared  (4)  that  the 
subjects  had  a  right  to  bear  arms,  (5)  to  petition  the 
king,  and  (6)  to  have  freedom  of  debate  in  Parliament. 
(7)  The  High  Commission  Court  was  declared  illegal, 
and  (8)  frequent  Parliaments  were  declared  necessary. 
On  these  terms  the  throne  was  offered  to  William  and 
Mary,  and  accepted  by  them.     Henceforth  no  English 
king  could  claim  to  rule  by  divine  right,  but  only  by 
the  will  of  the  nation. 


J-J.t.iaa.tA-  .^■^..^.  -■■ 


2l6        THE   FIRST  CONSTITUTIONAL   MONARCHS.      [1689. 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

THE    FIRST   CONSTITUTIONAL    MONARCHS. 

THE  Declaration  of  Rights  did  not  seem  to  be  all 
that  was  necessary  to  protect  the  people.     So, 
to  make  sure  that  no  king  could  again  turn  tyrant, 
Parliament  granted  William  the  revenues  from  customs 
for  a  few  years,  instead  of  for  life,  as  had  hereto- 
SiSTry  ^ore  been  done.     Then,  too,  the  Commons  said 
(1689-     that  for  the  future  money  must  be  spent  on  the 
'^°'^'      objects   specified    in    the    vote.     This   was   to 
guard  against  the  king's  obtaining  money  for   some 
particular  purpose,  like  the  navy,  and  then  spending 
it  to  keep  up  a  large  army  to  hold  the  people  down. 
To  still  further  guard  against  the  same  evil,   Parlia- 
ment voted  the   bill  giving   the   army  officers 
Mu'tiny    control  ovcr  the  soldiers  — the  Mutiny  Bill,  as 
^'"*        it  is  called  — for  one  year.     If  Parliament  for 
any  cause  should  wish  to  disband  the  army,  it  had  only 
to  refuse  to  pass  a  new  Mutiny  Bill;  for  when  the  old 
one  expired,  the  army  would   drop  to  pieces,  as  the 
soldiers   could   not   be  punished   for   disobeying  the 
officers.      And   this  practice   of   passing  money   and 
mutiny  bills   has  lasted   to  our  own  times.     This   is 
a  very  important  fact,  for  in  this  way  the  House  of 
Commons  has  obtained  control  of  the  government,  as 
it  is  in  that  House  that  money  bills  are  first  passed. 
The  king  was,  and  is,  obliged  to  have  for  his  ministers 


i^g^oi^^^^^^M 


1689.] 


RESPONSIBLE   GOVERNMENT. 


217 


men  who  have  the  confidence  of  a  majority  in  that 
House;  in  other  words,  men  who  can  get  these  very 
bills  through  Parliament.  In  this  way  the  great  Brit- 
ish Empire  has  come  to  be  ruled  by  a  committee  of 
the  party  which  for  the  moment  has  a  majority  in 
the  House  of  Commons.  This  is  called  *'  responsible 
government,"  as  these  men  are  responsible  to  the 
House  of  Commons,  and  through  it  to  the  people  of 
England. 

The  next  thing  Parliament  did  was  to  pass  a  law  de- 
claring that  all  officers  in  church  and  state  must  swear 
The       ^^  support  William  and  Mary  as  king  and  queen. 

fZs.  ^^"^  ^''''^  P'-^^P^^  ^^'^^  believed  that  James  was 
the  real  king,  and  refused  to  swear.  They  were 
called  non-jurors  (non-swearers).  They  were  sincere, 
and  did  what  they  thought  was  right;  but  their  ac- 
tions made  William's  position  much  more  difficult. 
It  was  found  impossible  to  repeal  the  harsh  Acts  which 
the  Cavaliers  had  passed  against  the  Dissenters.  But 
one  great  step  was  made  in  the  passage  of  the  Tolera- 
tion Act,  allowing  Dissenters  to  stay  away  from  the 
Episcopal  service  without  being  fined. 

Now  that  William  was  firm  on  the  throne,  James  was 
glad  to  accept  the  helping  hand  held  out  by  Louis  of 
France.  The  Irish  were  devout  Roman  Catholics,  and 
were  thus  disposed  to  be  friendly  to  James.  It  is 
probable,  too,  that  the  Irish  leaders  hoped  that  by 
aiding  James  they  might  free  Ireland  from  the  Eng- 
lish yoke.  At  any  rate,  no  sooner  had  James  fled  to 
France  than  they  made  war  on  the  English  and  Pro- 
testant settlers  in  Ireland,  and  compelled  them  to  seek 
refuge  in  two  towns  in  the  northern  part  of  Ireland, 
Enniskillen  and  Londonderry.     Soon  James  came  over 


i-ta'^^f  .*^  U-tn   .  ■?j^wJt5..sA\ ^..       >Jiri, 


21 8        THE  FIRST  CONSTITUTIONAL   MONARCHS.       [1689. 


1690.] 


BATTLE   OF  THE  BOYNE. 


219 


with  some  French  soldiers,  and  siege  was  laid  to  the 
two  towns.  The  garrison  of  Enniskillen,  sallying  forth, 
drove   their  assailants  away.     Those  at  Londonderry 


WILLIAM    III.  :     AFTER    A    PORTRAIT    BY   J.   H     BRANDON. 

ate  everything  that  was  eatable  in  the  town,   inclu- 
ding all  the  rats  and  salt  hides.     Then  at  length 
i!^ndo°n- two  London  ships  broke  through  the  obstructions 
'^^"^-     which  the    Irish    had    placed    in   the    mouth  of 


of  the  harbor,  and  the  town  was  saved,  after  one  of  the 
most  persistent  defences  in  history. 

The  next  year  William  himself  went  to  Ireland  with 


MARY    II.  :    AFTER   A    PORTRAIT   BY  J.    H.   BRANDON. 

a  famous  French  general, —  Schomberg,  —  whom  Louis 
had  driven  from  France  because  he  was  a  Hugue-    g^j^jg 
not.     They  fought  with  James  and  his  French   ^  ^^^ 
and  Irish  troops  at  the  Battle  of  the  Boyne,  and    (1690). 


2i8       nil    1  iK»r  rov^rnT'i  i<>\  \i    Mr)\AR(Mi>. 


[i(kS9. 


with  some   l^'rcnch  soKlicrs,  an( 


1  sie<re  was  laid  to  tlie 


two  towns. 


I'h 


c  tfanison  o 


I  I'inniskillcn,  sallvin: 


torth, 


Irovc    thfir   assailants   awa\ 


rhosc  at   LoiulondciTV 


\v 


,iLi.iA\i  in.;     villi;    \  r.tkruMT  nv   |.  if    i;K\NnnN 


thini;-   that    was   eatable    in    the    town,    inclu- 

Jin-  all  the  rats  liiuI  >alt  hitles.      Then  at  leni^th 

dou  two  London  ships  broke  thron-h  the  obstruetions 

whieh   the     Iri^h    ha<l    phieetl    in    the    mouth   t.f 


ate   everv 


I. I'M 

del 


tM.  >ifrv 


I  (M)0 


HATTL1-:  or  TliK   iiovxi:. 


21 


ol  the  harbor,  and  the  town  was  saved,  altei-  one  ni  the 
most  persistent  detenees  in  history. 

Idle  next  year  William  himsell  went  to  Ireland  with 


MAU\     II.:     AFTKK    A    PoRl^UAII     l:V    f.    H.    I;R\MmiN. 


a  famous  1^'reneh  general, —  Sehomberi;-, —  whom  Louis 
had  driven  from  1^' ranee  beeause  he  was  a  1  lui-iie 


i;.ittit' 


n(»t.      Thev   foui^ht  witli    James  and   his    l^'remh    "' ^'^ 


.(jMli- 


•ind  Irish  tioops  at  the  llatlle  of  the  l)o\ne,  and    h',(,o). 


220        THE   FIRST  CONSTITUTIONAL   MONARCHS.       [1690 

beat  him  so  thoroughly  that  he  fled  to  France  as  fast 
as  horse  and  ship  would  carry  him.  Nevertheless,  it 
took  several  years  to  reconquer  Ireland  thoroughly. 

The  news  of  this  great  victory  reached  England  in 
good  time,  for  Admiral  Herbert  —  now  Lord  Torrington 
^^^^y  —had  been  badly  beaten  the  very  day  before 
Head,  ^y  ^^Q  French  off  Beachy  Head.  The  French 
admiral  then  landed  his  soldiers  and  set  fire  to  the  huts 
of  some  poor  fishermen  who  lived  in  a  little  town  in  the 
southern  part  of  England.  This  outrage  so  angered 
the  English  people  that  thousands  who  had  hitherto 
been  lukewarm  now  came  to  the  assistance  of  William 
and  Mary,  and  did  all  they  could  to  save  the  land  from 
James  and  his  allies. 

In  fact,   all  danger  from  the  Jacobites  was  for  the 
moment  at  an  end.     William  crossed  over  to  Holland 
and  took  his  place  at  the  head  of  the  European  powers 
who  were  opposed  to  Louis.     Now  the  French   king 
thought  that  the  best  way  to  compel  William's  return 
to  England  would  be  to  send  James  over  there.     So 
he  gathered  a  great  army  at  Boulogne.     James  was  so 
sure  of  being  successful  that  he  drew  up  a  proclama- 
tion, telling  people  what  would  happen  when  he  was  on 
the  throne  again.     Among  other  things  he  said  that 
the  ignorant  fishermen  who  had  stopped   him  on  his 
first  attempt  to  escape  would  be  treated  as  traitors,  and 
have  their   heads   cut  off.      Indeed,  the  proclamation 
was  so  ridiculous  that    the   English   Government    re- 
printed it,  and  sent  copies  all  over  the  country  at  its 
own  expense.     But  James  never  got  to  England  again, 
for  an  English  fleet  under  Admiral  Russell  swept  from 
the  seas  the  French  fleet  that  was  to  have  conveyed 
him    to    England.     The   English   sailors   remembered 


1693] 


BANK  OF  ENGLAND. 


221 


the   humiliation    of    Beachy    Head,    and    now   at    La 
Hogue  sank,  captured,  or  drove  ashore  every  French 
ship.     They  even  rowed   in  small  boats  right   ^^ 
up  to  some  ships  that  had  taken  refuge  under   Hogue 
the  guns  of  a  fort,  and  set  them  on  fire.    All 
this  was  done  under  the  eyes  of  James  himself.     There 
was  no  longer  any  need  for  William  to  feel  anxious  for 
England.     At  the  Peace  of  Ryswick  (1697)  Louis  was 
compelled  to  give  back  all  the  places  he  had  seized. 
This  was  mainly  owing  to  the  pluck  and  skill  of  Wil- 
liam;  for  though  he  seldom  won    battles,    he    knew 
how  to  prevent  the   French  from  making  any  use  of 
their  victories, —  and  that  is  sometimes  as  important 
as  winning  battles. 

The  fight  which  William  was  so  manfully  making 
was  not  merely  a  fight  for  the  Protestant  religion,  but 
a  struggle  for  English  liberty.  His  success  would 
benefit  succeeding  generations  for  hundreds  of  „. 

^    *=*  .  His 

years.     So  the  Government  borrowed  a  portion  financial 

advisers. 

of  the  funds  needed  to  support  the  armies,  the 

first  loan  being  made  in  1693.     It  was  the  beginning 

of  the  English  national  debt. 

At  this  time  there  were  no  banks  in  England.  All 
large  sums  of  money  were  collected  and  paid  through 
the  goldsmiths  and  silversmiths  of  London,  Bank  of 
who  in  this  way  acted  as  bankers.  Of  course  ^^s^^*^^- 
this  was  not  a  very  secure  way  of  doing  business,  as 
everything  depended  upon  the  honesty  of  some  par- 
ticular man.  So  a  Scotchman  named  Paterson  agreed 
to  establish  a  national  bank.  As  an  inducement  for 
the  authorities  to  give  him  the  necessary  power,  he 
proposed  to  lend  to  the  Government  one-half  the  capi- 
tal of  the  bank.     Thus  the  Government  would  be  able 


i 


222 


THE 


FIRST  CONSTITUTIONAL  MONARCHS.      [1692 


to  borrow  money,  and  at  the  same  time  the  share- 
holders and  those  who  had  deposited  money  m  the 
bank  would  be  interested  in  the  stability  of  the  Gov- 
ernment  of  William,  because  if  it  should  be  overthrown 
they  would  never  get  their  money  back.  In  this  way 
the  Bank  of  England  was  established. 

Another  great  reform  was  the  recoinage  of  the  cur- 
rency     To-day  an  English  gold  sovereign  is  good  the 
world  over;  but  two  hundred  years  ago  this  was  not 
the  case      The  money  then  in  circulation  had  been 
coined  with  smooth  edges.     Any  one  could  clip  off  a 
little  without  its  being  noticed.     In  the  end,  however 
so  much  might  be  clipped  off  that  the  coin  would  not 
be  worth  anything  like  its  face  value.     The  merchants 
refused    to  take  these   coins   in   payment,  except  by 
weight,  so  many  ounces  of  gold  or  silver  for  so  many 
pounds  of  bread  and  butter.     Of  course  this  was  very 
inconvenient,  and  the  Government  employed  Sir  Isaac 
Newton,  the  great  philosopher,   to   make   some   new 
coins.     The  new  pieces  had  milled  edges,  and  could 

not  be  clipped.  .      „     r     ^^ 

In  this  year,  too,  the  '^Licensing  Act"  of  1660, 
which  had  placed  the  control  of  printing  in  the  Gov- 
ernment,  expired  by  limitation,  and  Parliament 
^^r^  refused  to  renew  it.  Since  that  time  every 
P-'  one  has  been  at  liberty  to  publish  anything  he 
^''''^'  chooses.  But  he  is  responsible  for  what  he 
publishes,  as  he  is  for  everything  else  he  does. 

The   one   great  blot   upon  William's   name  is  the 

massacre  of  Glencoe.     Ian  Maclan,  chief  of  the 

0I  Gi^r  Macdonalds,  who  lived  in  Glencoe,  in  a  fit  of 

'"*•        stubborn  pride  had  waited  until  all  the  other 

chiefs  had  taken  the   oath  of  submission  to  William 


1694] 


DEATH   OF   QUEEN   MARY. 


223 


and  Mary.  Then  he  went  to  the  nearest  fort,  and 
offered  to  take  the  oath ;  but  there  was  no  one  there 
who  could  administer  it.  Now  thoroughly  alarmed,  be- 
cause those  who  did  not  take  the  oath  before  a  certain 
day  were  to  be  declared  outlawed,  he  trudged  over  the 
snow  to  Inverary,  only  to  find  when  he  arrived  there 
that  it  was  too  late.  The  sheriff,  however,  made  out 
a  paper  to  the  effect  that  the  chief  had  tried  to  take  the 
oath  at  the  proper  time ;  indeed,  he  took  it  then  only 
six  days  late.  It  chanced  that  the  king's  representative 
in  Scotland  at  that  time  was  a  bitter  enemy  to  the 
Macdonalds.  He  contrived  to  suppress  the  fact  that 
Maclan  had  offered  to  take  the  oath  at  a  proper  time, 
and  obtained  from  William  an  order  to  "extirpate  the 
Macdonalds  of  Glencoe."  This  sentence  was  in  the 
middle  of  a  long  document,  and  it  is  probable  that 
William  never  saw  it.  At  all  events,  one  morning 
in  February,  1692,  a  company  of  Scottish  soldiers,  led 
by  Campbell  of  Glenlyon,  after  enjoying  the  hospitali- 
ties of  the  Macdonalds  for  two  weeks,  suddenly  fell  on 
them  and  killed  thirty-eight  on  the  spot.  The  remain- 
der fled  to  the  mountains.  How  many  died  from  cold 
and  hunger  will  never  be  known.  The  act  was  one  of 
private  revenge  on  the  part  of  the  Campbells.  But  it 
was  done  under  orders,  and  William  felt  obliged  to 
shelter  the  authors,  and  no  one  was  ever  punished. 

Queen  Mary  died  in  1694.  This  was  a  great  loss 
to  William,  for  she  was  very  popular  with  the  people, 
while  he  was  very  unpopular.  Indeed,  it  might  have 
gone  hard  with  him,  had  not  Louis  of  France,  in 
defiance  of  treaties  and  promises,  put  his  son  on  the 
throne  of  Spain.  This  aroused  the  jealousy  of  the 
English  people,  and  William   soon   found  himself  at 


sasbj^^^^^s^ 


fj^Jtactu^"' 


224        THE  FIRST  CONSTITUTIONAL  MONARCHS.       [1704. 

the  head  of  another  Grand  Alliance  of  Europe  against 
the  Bourbons.  Just  at  this  moment  the  exiled  James  II. 
died  in  his  borrowed  palace  of  St.  Germain's.  In  direct 
opposition  to  the  Treaty  of  Ryswick,  Louis  acknowl- 
edged James's  son  James  (the  "Old  Pretender")  as 
king  of  England.  All  England  was  now  anxious  for 
war.  But  William  was  not  again  to  lead  the  armies  of 
Europe.  In  the  winter  of  1702  he  was  thrown  from 
his  horse,  and  a  few  weeks  later  he  died.  Suspended 
about  his  neck,  where  no  one  could  see  it,  was  a  locket 
containing  a  gold  ring  and  a  lock  of  Mary's  hair. 

As  William  and  Mary  had  no  children,  Mary's 
younger  sister,  the  Princess  Anne,  became  queen. 
Queen     She  was  morc  of  a  Stuart  than  Mary,  and  al- 

^""^  lowed  herself  to  be  ruled  by  favorites,  as  her 
(1702-  -^ 

>7m).  ancestors  had  allowed  themselves  to  be  ruled. 
During  the  first  part  of  her  reign  her  favorite  was 
the  wife  of  the  Earl,  afterwards  the  Duke,  of  Marl- 
borough. This  Marlborough  was  a  selfish  man.  But 
he  saw  that  by  carrying  out  the  plans  of  William  he 
might  make  a  great  name  for  himself.  And,  indeed, 
for  the  next  few  years  he  was  the  real  ruler  of  Eng- 
land, and  even  took  William's  place  at  the  head  of  the 
Alliance  against  Louis. 

The  first  year  he  accomplished  little.  But  in  1704 
he  broke  away  from  the  Dutch  allies,  who  always  pre- 
vented his  doing  anything  at  all  hazardous. 
Bfenhehn  Marching  up  the  Rhine  and  the  Neckar,  he 
^'^°'*^*  crossed  over  the  mountains  to  Donauworth,  on 
the  Danube.  There  he  was  joined  by  an  Austrian  army 
under  Prince  Eugene.  They  encountered  the  French 
and  their  allies,  the  Bavarians,  at  the  little  town  of 
Hochstadt.      The  two  opposing  forces  had  no  sooner 


1704.] 


BATTLE  OF   BLENHEIM. 


225 


come  into  contact  than  Marlborough  saw  that  the 
enemy  had  stationed  a  large  part  of  his  army  in  the 
villao-e  of  Blenheim,  at  the  end  of  the  line.     He  there- 


QUEEN  ANNE  :     FROM  A  PORTRAIT  BY   SIR  GODFREY  KNELLER. 

fore  made  the  middle  of  his  own  line  as  strong  as 
possible.  Then,  while  a  false  attack  was  made  on 
Blenheim  on  the  one  flank,  and  while  Prince  Eugene 

15 


„ — «»» — 


224        THE    FIRST   COXSriTlTIONAL    MOXARCIIS.       [1704- 

the  head  of  aiK^thcr  Grand  Alliance  of  Europe  aj^ainsl 
the  Bourbons.  Just  at  this  moment  the  exiled  James  II. 
died  in  his  borrowed  palace  of  St.  Germain's.  In  direct 
opposition  to  the  Treaty  of  Ryswick,  Louis  acknowl- 
edged James's  son  James  (the  "Old  Pretender ")  as 
king  of  luigland.  All  luigland  was  now  anxious  for 
war.  But  William  was  not  again  to  lead  the  armies  of 
Kurope.  In  the  winter  of  1702  he  was  thrown  from 
his  horse,  and  a  few  weeks  later  he  died.  Suspended 
about  his  neck,  where  no  one  could  see  it,  was  a  locket 
containing  a  gold  ring  and  a  lock  of  Mary's  hair. 

As  William  and  IVIary  had  no  children,  Mary's 
younger  sister,  the  Princess  Anne,  became  queen, 
ouecn  She  was  more  of  a  Stuart  than  Mary,  and  al- 
Anno  lowed  hcrsclf  to  be  ruled  by  favorites,  as  her 
•7m")-  ancestors  had  allowed  themselves  to  be  ruled. 
During  the  first  part  of  her  reign  her  favorite  was 
the  wife  of  the  P:arl,  afterwards  the  Duke,  of  Marl- 
borough. This  Marlborough  was  a  selfish  man.  But 
he  saw  that  by  carrying  out  the  plans  of  William  he 
miirht  make  a  crreat  name  for  himself.  And,  indeed, 
for  the  next  few  years  he  was  the  real  ruler  of  Eng- 
land, and  even  took  William's  place  at  the  head  of  the 
Alliance  against  Louis. 

The  first  year  he  accomplished  little.  lUit  in  1704 
he  broke  away  from  the  Dutch  allies,  who  always  pre- 
vented his  doing  anything  at  all  hazardous, 
nicnhdm  Marching  up  the  Rhine  and  the  Neckar,  he 
^'''°'^^'  crossed  over  the  mountains  to  Donauworth,  on 
the  Danube.  There  he  was  joined  by  an  Austrian  army 
under  I'rince  luigene.  They  encountered  the  French 
and  their  allies,  the  Bavarians,  at  the  little  town  of 
Hochstadt.      The  two  opposing  forces  had  no  sooner 


1704-1 


BATTLE   OF    r.LENIIEIM, 


22  ^ 


come  into  contact  than  Marlborough  saw  that  the 
enemy  had  stationed  a  large  part  of  his  army  in  the 
villa-e  of  Blenheim,  at  the  end  of  the  line.      1  le  there- 


OUKEN   ANNF.  :     FROM   A   FORTRATT   F.Y    STR   r.ODFRF.Y   KXKLLKR. 


fore  made  the  middle  of  his  own  line  as  strong  as 
possible.  Then,  while  a  false  attack  was  made  on 
Blenheim  on  the  one  flank,  and  while  Prince  Eugene 

IS 


226        THE   FIRST   CONSTITUTIONAL  iMONARCHS.      [1704 

kept  the  Bavarians  engaged  on  the  other  flank,  Marl- 
borough threw  his  whole  weight  on  the  centre.  He 
broke  through,  and  turning  half  round,  wrapped  his 
army  around  the  village  of  Blenheim.  Not  a  French- 
man in  the  village  escaped;  they  were  all  killed  or 
captured.  On  the  morning  of  that  day  the  French 
and  Bavarian  generals  had  commanded  an  army  of 
some  sixty  thousand  men.  At  night  but  twenty  thou- 
sand remained.  The  road  from  Ulm  to  Ratisbon  runs 
through  a  part  of  this  battlefield,  and  the  pathway  is 
said  to  be  founded  on  the  bones  of  men  and  horses  who 
perished  there.  In  fact,  to  this  very  day  the  skulls  of 
men  are  sometimes  turned  up  by  the  plough. 


t( 


'  'T  is  some  poor  fellow's  skull,'  quoth  he, 
*  Who  fell  in  the  great  victory.' " 


The  victory  of  Blenheim  placed  England  at  the  head 
of  Teutonic  Europe.  To  Marlborough  it  brought  the 
thanks  of  Parliament  and  a  magnificent  estate. 

Marlborough  gained  many  other  victories,  but  .none 

so  important  as  this.     Nor  was  he  the  only  English 

commander  to  gain  victories,  for  Admiral  Rooke, 

Seizure  ^  ' 

of  havmg  with  him  a  small  land  force  under  the 

'  command  of  a  German  prince,  captured  Gibral- 
tar, the  key  to  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  The  English 
held  it  through  the  war,  retained  it  at  the  peace,  and 
it  is  still  in  English  hands,  and  is  claimed  to  be  the 
strongest  fortress  in  the  world.  The  Treaty  of  Utrecht 
ended  this  long  war.  The  French  prince  kept  his 
Spanish  throne,  but  France  had  been  greatly  weakened 
by  the  struggle.  The  twenty-five  years  of  peace  which 
followed  brought  her  little  strength,  though  giving 
England   time  to   grow,   and   to  become   the   leading 


1707.] 


UNION   WITH    SCOTLAND. 


227 


•5 


power  in  Europe.  In  America  this  war  was  usually 
called  Queen  Anne's  War,  and  during  its  continuance 
Acadia  was  taken  from  the  French.  At  the  Peace  of 
Utrecht  it  was  retained  by  England,  and  this  was  the 
first  step  in  the  breaking  up  of  the  French  empire  in 
America. 

One   of   the   principal  reasons  for  the  prominence 
which  England  now  gained  was  the  union  with  Scot- 
land.    Ever  since  James  VI.    of   Scotland  be- 
came  James  I.   of  England,  the  two  countries  ^iT" 
had  been  ruled  by  one  sovereign.     But,  except  f^yl^j^^'^ 
for  a  short  time  during  the  ascendency  of  the 
Puritans,  a  Scottish  Parliament,  sitting  at  Edinburgh, 
had  made  laws  for  Scotland ;  a  Scot  had  been  regarded 
in  England  as  a  foreigner;  and  Scottish  goods  could 
be  brought  into  England  only  on  terms  which  made 
their  profitable  sale  impossible.     Of  course  the  evils 
of  such  a  state  of  things  were  apparent  to  every  one. 
But  so  jealous  were  all  parties  of  their  rights  that  it 
was  not  until  1707  that  the  union  of  the  two  kingdoms 
was  brought   about.     After  that   date,    laws   for   the 
United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  were  made  by  a  Par- 
liament sitting  at  Westminster.     The  Scots  sent  one- 
twelfth  of  the  new   House  of   Commons,  and  in  the 
House   of   Lords  there  were  sixteen  Scottish   peers, 
chosen  by  all  the  Scottish  peers.     Besides  these,  how- 
ever, many  Scots  sat  in  the  House  of  Lords,  because 
they  possessed  English  titles  of  nobility,  so  that  the  dis- 
proportion was  not  so  great  as  it  at  first  sight  appears. 
For  purposes  of  trade  and  taxation  the  two  kingdoms 
were  placed   on  an   equality.      Many  people   thought 
that  the  less  numerous  Scots  would  be  lost  to  sight 
among  their  more  numerous  neighbors.     Such  has  not 


fc'4gff}g 


■  «  «t/  -'1  .  ir'birsjsi-^ 


228  THE   FIRST   CONSTITUTIONAL   MONARCHS.      [1707- 

been  the  case.  By  patience  and  energy  the  Scots  have 
made  Glasgow  on  the  Clyde  the  rival  of  Liverpool  on 
the  Mersey.  In  colonial  enterprises  the  two  races  have 
stood  side  by  side,  while  in  the  government  service, 
in  the  army,  the  navy,  and  even  in  the  Church,  the 
Scots  have  taken  a  leading  part.  And  this,  though  the 
Presbyterian  Church  was  recognized  as  the  Established 
Church  of  Scotland.  The  old  English  flag  had  been 
the  red  cross  of  St.  George  on  a  white  ground.  The 
white  "saltire"  of  St.  Andrew,  or  cross,  in  the  shape 
of  an  X,  on  a  blue  ground,  was  now  combined  with  this, 
and  the  "union"  flag  became  the  symbol  of  the  union 
between  the  two  countries. 


ROYAL  ARMS   BORNE    BY  JAMES    I.    AND   SUCCEEDING   STUART 

SOVEREIGNS. 


< 


,701]         ACT   OF   SUCCESSION,    OR   SETTLEMENT.  229 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 


GEORGE    I. 


1714-1727. 


Act  of 

Succes- 
sion, or 
Settle- 
ment 
(1701). 


OUEEN  ANNE  was  the  last  of  the  Stuart  mon- 
archs.  She  died  in  17 14,  leaving  no  children. 
'^  As  long  ago  as  1701  an  Act  had  been  passed  regu- 
lating the  succession  to  the  crown  in  such  a  way 
that  none  but  a  Protestant  should  ever  become 
king  or  queen  of  England.  The  Protestant  hav- 
ing- the  best  riojht  to  the  crown  after  Anne  was 
the  Electress  Sophia  of  Hanover,  that  small 
country  being  governed  by  an  elector;  and  on  her  and 
her  descendants,  provided  they  were  Protestants,  the 
crown  was  settled.  A  few  things  which  had  been 
omitted  from  the  Bill  of  Rights  were  inserted  in  this 
new  agreement  between  Parliament  and  the  future 
kings  and  queens  of  England,  especially  one  clause 
requiring  the  judges  to  be  appointed  to  hold  office 
during  good  behavior,  and  not  merely  during  the  king's 
pleasure.  Electress  Sophia  died  a  few  weeks  before 
Queen  Anne.  So  upon  the  latter' s  death,  Sophia's 
son.  Elector  George  of  Hanover,  became  King  George 
the  First  of   England.^ 

There  were  many  persons  in  England,  and  even  in 
the  government  itself,  who  would  have  preferred  a 
Stuart  king.       But   just  before  Queen   Anne's  death, 

*  For  genealogy,  see  p  242. 


ii.i^ia 


230 


GEORGE   I. 


I1715 


Riot 
Act 


some  noblemen  favorable  to  the  Hanoverian  cause, 
suspecting  the  ministers  of  conspiring  with  the 
Stuarts,  seized  the  government.  That  their 
plot  suspicions  were  correct  is  shown  by  the  fact 
^'^^^^'  that  Lord  Bolingbroke,  who  had  been  the  lead- 
ing minister,  soon  after  ran  away  to  France,  and  openly 
joined  the  Pretender,  James  Stuart.  Then  the  elec- 
tions to  the  new  Parliament  were  scenes  of  such 
great  disorder  that  the  Riot  Act  had  to  be  passed. 
(»7i5)-  When,  a  year  later,  it  came  to  be  time  to  elect 
a  new  Parliament,  there  was  still  so  much  opposi- 
tion to  the  Hanoverian  Succession  that  an  Act  was 
passed  extending  the  duration  of  Parliament  for  seven 
years,  unless  sooner  dissolved  by  the  king.  This  was 
called  the  Septennial  Act,  and  is  still  in  force. 

Septen-  ^  . 

niai  Act  No  Parliament  can  sit  for  more  than  seven  years, 
in  any  case,  without  a  new  election;  and  new 
elections  may  be  held  much  oftener  than  this,  as,  for 
instance,  when  the  ministry  is  defeated  in  any  impor- 
tant vote,  or  when  a  Prime  Minister  thinks  it  a  favor- 
able time  for  his  party.  When  a  ministry  is  finally 
defeated,  the  sovereign  sends  for  some  leading  mem- 
ber or  members  of  the  successful  party,  and  they  agree 
upon  a  new  list  of  ministers. 

The  next  few  years  were  marked  by  a  desire  among 
the  people  to  grow  rapidly  rich.  A  great  scheme  for 
trade  to  South  America  and  the  islands  of  the  Pacific 
South  was  set  on  foot.  The  company  which  under- 
Bubbie  ^^^^  ^^  carry  on  this  trade  was  called  the  South 
(1720).  Sea  Company,  from  the  old  name  of  the  Pacific 
Ocean.  It  soon  made  some  very  corrupt  bargains  with 
the  English  Government,  and  thus  attracted  much  atten- 
tion.    Its  shares  rose  from  one  hundred  pounds  apiece 


1720.] 


SOUTH  SEA  BUBBLE. 


231 


GEORGE  I.:  FROM  AN  ENGRAVING  BY  VERTUE. 


to  one  thousand  pounds  apiece ;  and  there  were  not  so 
many  shares  as  people  wished  to  buy  at  any  price. 
New  companies  were  quickly  started:  one  to  "trade 


j;o 


iiKoKi;!-:  1. 


I « 7  '  5 


some    noblemen     favorable  to  the    Hanoverian    eause, 
suspect  in-     the     ministers     ot     conspirin^i;-     with    the 


(ao'bite 


Stuarts,  seized  the  i^overnment.  That  their 
i>i..t  sus[)ieions  were  correct  is  shown  by  the  tact 
*'^''^"  that  Lord  Kol in-broke,  who  had  been  the  lead- 
in--  minister,  soon  after  ran  away  to  iMance,  and  openly 
joinetl  the  Pretender,  James  Stuart.  Then  the  elec- 
tions to  the  new  I'arl lament  were  scenes  of  such 
I  >  I  I 

Act  ifreat  disorder  that  the  Riot  Act  had  to  be  passed. 

^''''  ■  When,  a  year  later,  it  came  to  be  time  to  elect 
a  new  Parliament,  there  was  still  .-v>  much  t)pj)osi 
tion  to  the  Hanoverian  Succession  that  an  Act  was 
passed  extendin-  the  (kn-ation  of  Parliament  for  seven 
years,  unless  sooner  dissolved  by  the  kin--.  This  was 
called  the  Septennial   Act,  and  is  still  in  force. 

Sej»teii- 

niui  Act  \o  Parliament  can  sit  tor  more  than  seven  years, 
'''  in  any  case,  without  a  new  election;  and  new 
elections  may  be  held  much  oftener  than  this,  as,  for 
instance,  when  the  ministry  is  defeated  in  any  imjior- 
tant  vote,  (»r  when  a  Prime  Minister  thinks  it  a  favor- 
able time  for  his  ]-)arty.  When  a  ministry  is  tinally 
defeated,  the  soverei-;n  sends  for  some  leadin-'  mem- 
ber or  members  of  the  successful  party,  and  they  a-ree 
u|)on  a  new  list  of  ministers. 

The  next  few  years  were  marked  by  a  desire  amoni; 
the  people  to  i;row  rapidlv  rich.  A  -reat  scheme  tor 
trade  to  South  America  and   the  islands  of  the  Pacific 

South  ^^'''^^  ^<-'^  <>'"*  ^^<><'^-  I^""*-'  company  which  under- 
^*M,  took  to  carrv  on  this  trade  was  called  the  South 
(i7-o)-  Sea  Company,  from  the  old  name  of  the  Pacitic 
Ocean.  It  soon  made  some  very  corruj)t  bari;ains  with 
the  luiiflish  Government,  and  thus  attracted  much  atten- 
tiun.      Its  shares  rn^r  from  one  hundretl  pounds  apiece 


1720.  J 


huL  ill  SKA  dlt.ull:. 


^31 


e.EoR(a-:  i.:    from  an  kngraving  i;y  vertue. 

to  one  thousand  pounds  apiece;  and  there  were  not  so 
many  shares  as  people  wished  to  buy  at  any  jirice. 
Xew  comi)anies  were   tjuickly  started:   one  to  "trade 


•ii  -  •''^Kfi^x^  *ft 


232 


GEORGE  I. 


[1721. 


in  human  hair,"  for  instance,  another  "to  insure  against 
losses  from  dishonest  servants,"  and  still  another  for 
the  "making  of  iron  with  pit  coal."  Pit  coal,  or  coal, 
as  we  call  it,  was  then  regarded  as  unfit  for  smelting 
iron,  which  was  done  with  charcoal.  A  few  years 
later  a  method  of  smelting  iron  with  coal  was  intro- 
duced, and  this  industry  is  to-day  the  basis  of  Eng- 
land's prosperity.  Alarmed  at  the  sudden  rise  of 
these  companies,  the  South  Sea  Company  procured 
their  downfall.  When  the  distrust  of  the  people  had 
been  aroused  in  this  way  it  was  directed  against  the 
South  Sea  Company  as  well  as  against  its  rivals.  The 
Government  interfered,  and  the  South  Sea  Company 
was  saved.  During  this  fit  of  speculation  thousands 
had  lost  all  their  property,  and  there  was  much 
discontent  and  misery  throughout  England.  The 
Jacobites  thought  the  time  had  come  to  overthrow  the 
Hanoverian  monarchy.  But  again  their  scheme  fell 
through.  The  leaders  were  executed,  while  others, 
like  Atterbury,  Bishop  of  Rochester,  were  exiled. 

The  bursting  of  the  South  Sea  Bubble  brought  Sir 
Robert  Walpole,  a  skilful  financier,  to  the  head  of 
Si^  affairs.  He  became  First  Lord  of  the  Treasury, 
Robert     and  from  that  day  to  this  it  has  been  usual  for 

Walpole  ^  .     . 

Prime  that  ofKicial  to  be  prime  minister,  or  premier. 
(i;"?-*""^  All  the  members  of  the  Government,  too,  began 
'^■^^^'  now  to  act  together  under  the  leadership  of 
the  premier,  the  principal  ministers  forming  a  select 
council,  or  cabinet. 

Sir  Robert  Walpole  saw  that  what  England  now 
needed  was  a  period  of  repose,  during  which  the  Hano- 
verian kings  might  become  firmly  seated  on  the  throne, 
and  be  associated  in  people's  minds  with  prosperity 


r 


1727] 


WALPOLE'S    POLICY. 


233 


and  quiet.      He  resolved  to  let  well  enough  alone,  and 
never  to  do  anything  which  might  arouse  opposition. 
In  this  he  was  successful.      He  also  bought,  by  gifts 
of  money  or  easy  places  under  the  Government,    ^^^^_ 
the  votes  of  a  majority  of  the  members  of  the   poig 
House  of  Commons,  and  in  this  way  secured  his 
own  power,  and  kept  the  two  Houses  of  Parliament  from 


GROUP  SHOWING  COSTUMES   AND   SEDAN   CHAIR,  ABOUT  I72O  : 
FROM   AN    ENGRAVING  BY   KIP. 

quarrelling.  In  1727  George  I.  died,  and  his  son, 
George  H.,  succeeded  to  the  throne  as  quietly  as  any 
son  e'Ver  succeeded  his  father.  The  first  George  had 
been  a  dull  and  heavy  man,  who  spoke  English  very 
imperfectly,  because  of  his  German  birth,  and  had  won 
very  little  affection  or  admiration  from  his  people. 


^ 


232 


t;EORc;K  I 


[1721 


in  luinKin  hciir,"  tor  instance,  another  "to  insure  a-ainst 
losses  from  dishonest  servants,"  and  still  another  lor 
the  "makini;  ot  iron  with  pit  eoal."  Pit  eoal,  or  eoal, 
as  wo  eall  it,  was  then  re-arded  as  unfit  tor  smeltini; 
iron,  whieh  was  done  with  ehareoal.  A  tew  years 
later  a  nu-thod  of  snieltiuL;  iron  with  eoal  was  intro- 
dueed,  and  this  industry  is  to-day  the  basis  of  haii;- 
land's  i)rosi)erity.  Alarmed  at  the  sudden  rise  of 
thrse  eompanirs.  the  South  Sea  Company  proeured 
their  downtall.  When  the  distrust  of  the  people  had 
been  aroused  in  this  way  it  was  dir^eted  a-ainst  the 
South  Sea  Comi)any  as  well  as  a-ainst  its  rivals.  The 
(iovernment  interfered,  and  the  South  Sea  Com[)any 
was  saved.  Durini;  this  ht  of  speeulation  thousands 
had  lost  all  their  property,  and  there  was  mueh 
diseontent  and  misery  throughout  I'Ji-land.  The 
(aeobites  thou-ht  the  time  had  eome  to  overthrow  the 
Hanoverian  monarchy.  lUit  a-ain  their  scheme  tell 
tiirou-h.  The  leaders  were  executed,  while  others, 
like  Atterburv,  liishoj)  <>f  Rochester,  were  exiled. 

The  burstin--  of  the  South  Sea  T.ubble  brou-ht  Sir 
Robert  W'alpole,  a  skilful  tinancier,  to  the  head  of 
^j^.  affairs,      lie  became  l-'irst   Lord  of  the  Treasury, 

Kniurt  j^p(|  |p,pi  th-it  (lav  to  this  it  has  been  usual  for 
I'linu'  that  official  to  be  prime  minister,  or  ])remier. 
(172?-"^  All  tlie  members  of  the  (iovernment,  too,  be-an 
■'^^"^  now  to  act  together  under  the  leadership  of 
the  premier,  the  principal  ministers  formiuL;  a  select 
council,  or  cabinet. 

Sir    Robert    Walpole    saw    that    what     l-ji-land    now 
needed  was  a  period  of  repose,  durini;  which  the  llano 
verian  kin-s  mi-ht  become  hrmly  seated  on  the  throne, 
and    be    associated    in    i)eople's    minds   with   pro.sperity 


17-7  1 


\v.\i.iH)i.i:'s   roi.KV. 


:iiul  quiet.      He  resolved  to  let  well  enou-h  alone,  and 
never  to  do  anythin-  which   mi-ht  arouse  opi)()sition. 
In  this  he  was  successful.      He  also  bought,  by  -ifts 
ol   money  or  easy  places  under  the  Government,     ^^.  j_ 
the  votes  of  a  inajority  of  the  members  of  the    v<>j^j^ 
House  of  Commons,  and  in  this  way  secured  his 
nwn  power,  and  kept  the  two  Houses  of  I'arliament  from 


,.R..ri'  siiowiNc.  (-..sriMis  and  sf.dax  ciiAn;,  AV.om    17-^0: 

IR.  .M    AX    KX(.KA\IX(;    HV    Kll'. 

(inarrellin-  Tn  1727  Geor-e  1.  died,  and  his  son, 
George  H.,  succeeded  to  the  throne  as  (luietly  as  any 
sou  ."ver  succeeded  his  father.  The  first  Geor-e  had 
been  a  dull  and  heavy  man,  who  spoke  bai-lish  very 
imperfectly,  because  of  his  (^.erman  birth,  and  had  won 
verv  little  affection  or  admiration  from  his  people. 


234 


GEORGE  II. 


(1737 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


GEORGE    II. 


1 727-1 760. 

IT  seemed  at  first  as  if  Walpole  would  be  turned  out 
of  office ;  but  he  soon  discovered  that  the  new 
king  was  governed  by  his  wife,  Queen  Caroline.      So 
he  promised  her  that  if  he  should  remain  Prime  Min- 
ister, she  should  have  a  larger  allowance  than 
Queen      ^^y  queen  had  before  received.     This    pleased 

Caroline.         J     ^  ■,      .    ^^t    ^       i 

Queen  Caroline,  who  also  saw  that  Walpole  was 
the  ablest  and  safest  man  then  in  public  life.  She 
threw  her  influence  on  his  side,  and  while  she  lived  he 
was  secure  in  his  place. 

It  was  during  this  reign  that  the  brothers  Wesley 
began  a  great  revival  in  the  English  Church.  As  they 
laid  much  stress  on  their  peculiar  methods,  they 
Metho-  were  in  derision  called  Methodists.  But  the 
^'^^^'  Methodists  grew  and  prospered,  and  now  are  a 
strong  and  influential  body,  not  merely  in  England, 
but  in  our  own  country  as  well. 

In  1737  Queen  Caroline  died,  and  the  mainstay  of 
Walpole's  power  was  removed.  His  peace  policy,  too, 
was  becoming  distasteful  to  Englishmen,  who 
sl^^n"^'^  thought  he  yielded  too  much  to  foreigners.  At 
^'^^^^*  last  an  English  seaman  named  Jenkins  ap- 
peared in  London  with  one  of  his  ears  carefully  pre- 
served in  a  box.     This,  he  declared,  had  been  cut  off 


1739] 


WAR   WITH   SPAIN. 


235 


SIR  ROBERT  WALPOLE  :     FROM   THE   PICTURE   BY  VAN   LOO 
IN  THE   NATIONAL   PORTRAIT   GALLERY. 

by  a  brutal  Spanish  sailor.  When  asked  what  his 
feelings  were  at  the  time  of  the  ear-cutting,  he  replied : 
"  I  commended  my  soul  to  God,  my  cause  to  my  coun- 
try."    This    story  aroused   great    ill-will   among   the 


^34 


»;k<)K(;k  11 


ciiArTi:R  xxxii 


i;iu»R<iK  II. 


I 


1 727- 1 7^. 

T  seemed  at  first  as  il  \ValiK)k'  would  be  turned  out 
ot    oURe;   but   lie  soon  discovered   that    the    new 


kiuLL  was   i;() 


verned   bv  his  wife,  ( jueen 


Caroline.      S 


( I 


he  1 


)ronHse(. 


IS 


i  tiu-i  li 


1  her  that  it'  he  shoulil  remain    Prime   Min- 
ter,  she  should   have  m    lar-er  allowance  than 

1.      This    pleased 


ny  4 


ueen 


had   before   luLcivec 


(.)ueen  Caroline,  who  also  saw  that  Walpole  was 


the  ablest   and   safest   man   then    in   public   life. 


Sh- 


threw  her  influence  on  hiN  sic 


le.  and  while  she  lived  he 


was  secure  m  his  place 


h 


d: 


It 


was  c 


lurin: 


th 


IS  reiLi'n 


that  the  brothers  Weslev 


beiian  a  ureat  reviva 


were   in  ( 


1  in  the  lui-lish  Church.  As  they 
laid  much  stress  on  their  peculiar  methods,  they 
lerision  called  Methodists.  Hut  the 
Methodists  -rew  and  prospercnl,  and  now  are  a 
stron--  and  intluential  b..dy,  not  merely  in  Kn-land. 
but  in  nur  own  countr\  a>  well. 


The 

ai^t>^. 


In    1737  (Jueen 


Caroline  died,  and   the  mainstay  ul 


Walpole's  power  was  removed.      1  lis  peace  policy,  t 


00, 


War  with 
Spam 


was  becomin: 


listasteful   to    Mn-lishmen,    wh(» 


thou'dit  he  yielded  too  much  to  foreigners.      At 
last    an    iMi-lish    seaman    named    Jenkins    ap- 


jearec 


1   in   London   with  one  of  his  ears  care 


fully  1 


)re- 


se 


rved   in  a  box. 


Thi-,  he  declared,  had   been  cut  off 


i:>" 


WAR    Willi    sl'AlN 


"OT 


SIR  Koi:i:Kr  waii'i  >i.k 


1  ROM     lUK    rKllRi:    l:V  VAN    l-OO 


IN     IHK    N\llt»N\L    rtiRlKArr    (.Al.l.KRV 


hy  a  brutal   Spanish   sailor       When   asked   what   his 


)lied 


leelin-s  were  at  the  time  ot  the  ear-cuttm--,  lie  rep 
"  \  commended  my  soul  to  Ciod,  my  cause  to  my  coun 


try. 


This    story   aroiisec 


I    -reat    ill-will    amoiii;-    the 


-^r  •*Sg.it<tfiia»»ji 


236 


GEORGE   II. 


[1745- 


And 

with 
Prussia 
and 
France. 


people,  and  the  king,  too,  was  eager  for  war.  He  was 
still  Elector  of  Hanover,  and,  being  a  German  by  birth 
and  breeding,  he  cared  much  more  for  the  interests  of 
Hanover  than  for  those  of  England.  So  in  1739  ^^1- 
pole  was  compelled,  quite  contrary  to  his  own  judg- 
ment, to  declare  war  against  Spain.  In  the  next 
year  King  Frederick  H.  — called  Frederick  the 
Great  —  of  Prussia  seized  some  valuable  terri- 
tory belonging  to  Austria,  and  the  war  became 
general,  England  and  Austria  fighting  on  one  side, 
against  Spain,    France,   and  Prussia  on  the  other. 

In  1742  Sir  Robert  VValpole  was  forced  from  office, 
and  before  long  Henry  Pelham  became  prime  minister, 
with  his  brother,  the  Duke  of  Newcastle,  as  his 
Ministry  right-haud  man.  The  war  was  now  carried  on 
1754).  ^vith  rnore  vigor.  The  English  took  part  in  two 
noted  battles,  Dettingen  and  Fontenoy.  The 
former  is  especially  memorable  as  the  last  battle  in 
which  an  English  king  took  a  personal  share,  and  the 
latter  as  one  in  which  Irish  troops  fought  against 
England. 

The  war  is  important  in  English  history,  however, 
as  giving  occasion  for  the  last  attempt  of  the  Stuarts 
to  regain  their  lost  throne  by  force.  The 
French  Government  gave  all  the  assistance  it 
could,  and  many  Scots  rallied  around  Prince 
Charles  Edward,  the  son  of  the  Old  Pretender,  or 
James  III.,  as  the  Jacobites  called  him.  "  Prince  Char- 
lie "  beat  the  English  at  Preston  Pans,  near  Edinburdi, 
and  then,  advancing  south,  marched  almost  unopposed 
to  Derby,  in  the  heart  of  England.  In  London  all  was 
confusion.  The  king  made  preparations  to  escape  by 
sea,  and  Newcastle  even  thought  of  going  over  to  the 


Stuart 
risinii 

(1745)- 


i^ 


1 745-] 


GEORGE   II. 


237 


i 


GEORGE   II.  :     FROM   THE   PORTRAIT  BY  THOMAS  HUDSON 
IN  THE  NATIONAL  PORTRAIT  GALLERY. 


2;6 


l)coi 


.1 


)K' 


;iiul 


the  U 


CKoia.l     II 


ini;',  tno,  \\:is  cau'cr  for  war. 


H 


/-f3 


r  was 


still  Jlk'clor  ot   I  laii()\ci'.  ami.  bri 


11: 


;i  ( jcniian  1)\   hiith 


aiid 


)reL'(liiiL;,  lu-   caicd  nuich  iiimc  lor  the  interests  ol 


llaii(>\er  than  lor  those  ol  Mn-land.  So  in  1739  W'al 
pole  was  eonipelled,  cpiite  eontrary  to  his  own  JikIl; 
nient,  to  deelaie  war  a-ainst  Spain.       In  the  next 


An.  I 


w 


'ii'         year  Kiiu   l-'rederick   1  I 


Tru 


-  ealk'c 


[   I- 


>M.l 


I  edeiic 


k  tl 


le 


r.mcc 


ii'l  dreat  — ot    I'lirs^ia   >(.'!/.ed   some    valuable   teiri 

tory  belon-in.L;  to  Austria,  and  the  war  became 
general,  Mn-land  and  Austria  li-htini;  on  one  side, 
a-iiinst    Spain,    l-'ranee,    and    riussi.i    on   the  other. 

ffi   174J   Sii"    Robert   W'alpole  \\a>  loived    Irom  ofliee. 
and  beloie  Ion-   ilem-y  relliam  became  |)rime  minister. 


i'l-iil.Ull 

M 


with  his  brother,  the   Duke  ol   X 


.tl 


niiN 


iiy   ri-ht  luiiitl   man. 


«754). 


ewcastle,  as  Ins 


1  ne  war   was   now  carried   on 


w 


ith 


mo 


re  vJLCor.  The  I-'n-lish  took  part  in  two 
noted  battles,  Dettin-eii  and  I'ontenov.  The 
tormer  is  especially  memorable  as  the  last  battle  in 
which  an  ICn-lish  kin-  look  a  personal  shan-,  and  the 
latter  as  one  in  which  Iiish  troo|»s  b)U-ht  against 
I'ai-land. 

he  war   is   im|)ortant  in    I-ai-lish   historv.  howexer. 


1 


Lis-ivin-    occasion    lor  the  last   attempt  of  the   Stuart 


Stii.irt 
lisin.; 


to     re-'nin     their    lost     thr(me    bv    I 


orci,' 


T 


he 


I'rench    Gover 


nment    i;a\e  all    the  assista 


nee   It 


could,    and   manv    Scots    rallie<l    aiound    Trin 


(  c 


Charles    lidwaid,    th 


^-    son    ot    the    (  )1(1    I'rctendei- 


( >i 


James  ]]].,  as  the  Jacobites  called  him, 
lie"  beat  the  I-Ji- lish  at  i'reston  I'ai 


"    > 


iince 


Char 


IS,  near  I'alinbur-h, 


and  then,  advancin-"  soul h,  marched  almost  unoi)posed 
to  Derby,  in  thr   heart  ot    hai-land.      In   London  all  was 


(M)nrnsion. 


ri 


le 


Ml 


mad 


X 


made   preparations  to   I'scapi*  b\ 
11   tl 


sea,  ami    .\ ewcastle  e\en   thou-ht  o|    voiu"    o\er  to  iIk 


174 


/"».->•  J 


(;i:(>k(:r.  11. 


237 


(.a:()R(a.  11. 


l-UoM     lirr    i'ORTRAIT    V.Y   TIr()^^\S   lHUSoN 


IN     rut    NAllONAL    I'ORTKArr   CALl.l.KV 


238 


GEORGE   II. 


[1746. 


side  of  the  prince.       But  almost  no  one  in    England 
actually  joined    the   prince,   and    without   a  fight    he 
turned  back,  and  retreated  to  Scotland.     The  Duke  of 
Cumberland,  brother  to  the  king,  now  took  command 
of  the  English  forces,  and  pursuing  the  Scots  to  the 
northern    end   of   Scotland,    defeated    them    in 
0746?"  t^G  ba"^G  of  Culloden.     The  slaughter  did  not 
cease  with  the  battle,  and  earned  for  Cumber- 
land the  nickname  of   the    "Butcher."      After   many 
romantic   adventures,   Prince    Charles  escaped.     This 
was  largely  due  to  the  bravery  of  Flora  Macdonald, 
who  later  emigrated  to  the  Carolinas.     The  Highland 
clan  system  was  now  broken  up,  and  the  warlike  power 
of  the  chiefs  destroyed.     The  war  also  led  to  a  lasting 
change    in   the  social  condition  of  Scotland.     Before 
this,    the   humblest    Highland  clansman  had   claimed 
a  right   in  the  soil;    but  he  was  now  treated,   under 
the  English   laws,  as  a  mere  tenant-at-will,   and  the 
Dukes  of  Athol,  Sutherland,  and  Argyle  entered,  one 
after  another,  upon  a  series  of  ''clearances,"  as  they 
were  called,  expelling  thousands  of  families  to  make 
room  for  grouse,  sheep,  and  deer.     The  Scots  never 
rebelled  again,  and  in  the  next  war  they  were  found 
serving    in   the    English   army   against    the    French. 
Before  dismissing  the  Stuarts  from  our  minds,  let  us 
recall  for  a  moment  how  much  they  suffered  and  lost, 
merely  because  of  their  religion.     If  we  cannot  sym- 
pathize with  their  despotic  theories  of  government,  wc 
may  perhaps  honor  them  for   their   fidelity  to   their 
religious  convictions. 

This  insurrection,  "the  Forty-five,"  as  it  was  after- 
wards called,  is  vividly  described  in  Scott's  novel  of 
"Waverley. "    During  this  war,  the  militia  of  Massa- 


1748.] 


PITT   AND    FOX. 


239 


chusetts  and  some  of  the  other  English  North  Ameri- 
can colonies,  with  the  assistance  of  an  English  fleet, 
had  surprised  and  captured  the  French  stronghold  of 
Louisburg,  on  Cape  Breton  Island.  This,  with  all 
other  conquests,  was  given  back  by  England  at  the 
Peace  of  Aix-la-Chapelle  in   1748. 

The  year  1752  is  memorable  as  being  the  first  year 
in  which  English  folk  used  the  modern  mode  of  reckon- 
ing time.  The  old  calendar  had  been  adopted  in  the 
days  of  Julius  Caesar,  when  people  thought  the  year  was 
shorter  than  it  really  is.  In  1582  Pope  Gregory  ^ew 
had  instituted  a  new  calendar;  but  the  English  ^*y^^- 
at  that  time  hated  the  Pope  so  thoroughly  that  they 
would  have  nothing  to  do  with  it.  It  was  adopted, 
however,  by  the  Catholic  countries  of  western  Europe. 
In  1 75 1  the  difference  in  time  between  England  and 
her  neighbors  was  eleven  days.  The  English  year, 
too,  began  on  the  25th  of  March,  instead  of  on  the  ist 
of  January,  and  altogether  it  was  very  inconvenient. 
So  in  1 75 1  Parliament  passed  an  Act  providing  that 
the  year  1752  should  begin  on  January  ist,  and  the  day 
after  September  2d  should  be  called,  not  September  3d, 
but  September  14th.  In  this  way  England  caught  up 
with  her  neighbors.  But  many  people  thought  the 
Government  had  stolen  the  eleven  days,  and  cried  in 
public  places,  "Give  us  back  our  eleven  days! " 

During  these  years  two  young  men  —  William  Pitt 
and  Henry  Fox  —  pushed  themselves  to  the  front, 
and  were  taken  into  the  Government,  Fox  as  pjttand 
Secretary  of  War,  and  Pitt  as  Paymaster  of  ^°^- 
the  Forces.  Former  paymasters  had  used  the  money 
in  their  hands  as  their  own,  till  it  was  actually 
needed.     Pitt  now  refused  to  do  this.     He  turned  into 


240 


GEORGE   II. 


[1756- 


1756.J 


WILLIAM   PITT. 


241 


I 


the  treasury  the  interest  earned  by  the  money,  and 
thus  won  the  confidence  of  the  people.  In  1754  Pel- 
ham  died,  and  his  brother,  the  Duke  of  Newcastle, 
became  prime  minister. 

The  Treaty  of  1748  had  really  settled  nothing.  In 
America  especially,  the  boundaries  between  English 
and  F'rench  soil  were  vague  and  uncertain.  France 
conceived  the  project  of  connecting  her  possessions 
in  Canada  and  Louisiana  by  a  line  of  posts  extending 
down  the  Ohio  River.  If  this  were  successfully  done, 
the  English  colonies  would  be  confined  to  the 

causes 

of  the      narrow  strip  of   land  between  the  Alleghanies 

French  .         .,  .^^  r^  ta*         •it^ 

and  and  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  Governor  Uinwiddie 
WaAn  of  Virginia  sent  George  Washington  with  a 
America,  y^^^^^^  ^^  ^|^^  commaudcr  of  one  of  the  French 

posts,  protesting  against  the  whole  scheme.  No  at- 
tention being  paid  to  this,  Washington  led  an  expe- 
dition to  seize  Fort  Du  Ouesne,  which  was  erected 
at  the  junction  of  the  two  principal  branches  of  the 
Ohio,  near  where  Pittsburgh  now  stands.  This  ex- 
pedition ended  in  disaster.  The  English  Govern- 
ment then  sent  over  regular  troops  under  General 
Braddock  to  seize  the  place.  But  Braddock  was  killed 
before  he  came  within  sight  of  the  fort,  and  his  expedi- 
tion, too,  was  totally  wrecked. 

By  this  time  (1756)  war  had  broken  out  all  over 
western  Europe.  France  took  the  part  of  Austria, 
and  thus  England  was  forced  into  an  alliance 
Seven  with  Frederick  the  Great  of  Prussia.  The 
wTrfn  war  soon  spread  over  the  Christian  world, 
^"'""P^-  and  at  first  everything  went  against  England. 
Newcastle  tried  to  govern  without  Pitt,  and  failed. 
Then   Pitt  tried  to  carry  on  the  government  without 


THE   RT.  HON.  WILLIAM   PITT,   PAYMASTER   OF  THE   FORCES,   AFTER- 
WARDS  EARL  OF  CHATHAM  :     FROM   A   PAINTING   BY  HOARE. 

Newcastle,  and  he  in  turn  failed.     The  two  then  agreed 

to  share  the  government  between  them,  Newcastle  to 

manage  home  affairs,  and  to  secure  by  bribery,  in  which 

he  was  expert,  a  majority  in  the  House  of  Commons, 

while  Pitt  should  manage  the  war,  and  gain  as  many 

victories  as  he  could. 

16 


I 


240 


CiKORGE    II. 


[.75^>- 


the  treasury  the  interest  earned  In'  the  money,  and 
thus  wtMi  tlie  eonfidenee  ol  the  people.  In  1754  Pel- 
ham  (lied,  and  his  brother,  the  Duke  of  Neweastle, 
beeame  prime  minister. 

The  Treaty  of  i74Shad  really  settled  nothin--.  In 
Ameriea  esi)eeially,  the  boundaries  between  l-ai-lish 
and  P'reneh  soil  were  va-ue  and  uneertain.  l^anee 
eoneeived  tlie  projeet  of  eonneetin-  her  i)()ssessions 
in  Canada  and  Louisiana  by  a  line  of  posts  extendini; 
down  the  Ohio  River.  If  this  were  suecessfully  done, 
the    I'jvlish   colonies  would   be  conhned  to  the 

Causes  """^  1  A  1 1        1  • 

'•|  H'^  narrow  strij)  of  land  between  the  Ailei;hanies 
.m'r  '  ;ind  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  Governor  Dinwiddie 
u-l'.m  of  Vir-inia  sent  Geor-e  Washin-ton  with  a 
'^""'"''•letter  to  the  commander  of  one  of  the  French 
posts,  protestin--  a-ainst  tlie  whole  scheme.  No  at- 
tention bein-  paid  to  this,  Washington  letl  an  exj^e- 
dition  to  seize  lM)rt  Du  Ouesne,  which  was  erected 
at  the  junction  of  the  two  principal  branches  ol  the 
Ohio,  near  where  Pittsbur-h  now  stands.  Tius  ex- 
pedition ended  in  disaster.  The  lui-lish  (iovenv 
ment  then  sent  over  re-ular  troops  under  (General 
Hradilock  to  seize  the  place.  Hut  Hradvlock  was  killed 
before  he  came  within  si-ht  of  the  fort,  and  his  expedi- 
tion, too,  was  totally  wrecked. 

r>y  this  time  (i75<"))  war  liad  broken  out  all  over 
western  l'>urope.  1 'ranee  took  the  part  ol  Austria, 
and  thus  I-ai-land  was  forced  into  an  alliance 
scmi  with  iM-ederick  the  Cireat  of  Prussia.  The 
Warfn  War  soou  spread  over  the  Christian  world, 
Kuropc.  ,^^^^1  ^^  ^j.^^  everything-  went  a-ainst  luigland. 
Newcastle  tried  to  «;overn  without  Pitt,  and  failed. 
Then    Pitt  tried  to  carry  on  the  i;overnment   without 


i75<^-l 


WILLIAM    PITT. 


241 


TIIK   RT.  HON.  WILLIAM    PITT,    TAYMASTER    Ol-    TIIF.    lORCF.S,   AITER- 
WARDS    KARL   OF   «IIAIHAM:     FROM    A    I'AINIING    1!Y   IIOARK. 


Newcastle,  and  he  in  turn  failed.      The  two  then  aareed 

to  share  the  c;overnment  between  them,  Newcastle  to 

manai^e  home  affairs,  and  to  secure  by  bribery,  in  w^hich 

he  was  expert,  a  majority  in  the  House  of  Commons, 

while  Pitt  should  manai;e  the  war,  and  gain  as  many 

victories  as  he  could. 

16 


242 


GEORGE   II. 


[1756. 


1760.] 


DEATH   OF  GEORGE   II. 


243 


William  Pitt  was  probably  the  ablest  war  minister 
England  ever  had.  He  took  the  whole  control  of  the 
army  and  navy  into  his  own  hands.  For  instance, 
the  orders  for  the  sailing  of  fleets  were  sent  by  Pitt 
William  to  the  Admiralty  (or  navy  department),  and  the 
^^"-  Lords  of  the  Admiralty  were  compelled  to  sign 
them,  without  even  knowing  what  they  were.  Once, 
it  is  said,  Pitt  told  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty  to 
have  a  fleet  ready  to  set  sail  the  following  Friday. 
The  Lords  said  it  was  impossible.  Pitt  declared  that 
if  the  fleet  did  not  sail  at  the  designated  time,  there 
would  be  a  new  set  of  Lords  of  the  Admiralty.  The 
fleet  sailed  at  the  appointed  time,  and  a  few  days  later 
won  a  glorious   victory.      Pitt  especially  sought  for 


THE   HOUSE   OF   HANOVER. 

James  /.,  King  of  England. 

Elizabeth  m.  Frederick,  Elector  Palatine. 

I 
Sophia  m.  Elector  of  Hanover. 

George  /.,  King  of  England. 

1 
George  II. 

I 


r 


Frederick,  Prince  of  Wales. 
George  III. 


Duke  of  Cumberland. 


George  IV. 


William  IV. 


1 


Duke  of  Kent. 

I 
Victoria. 


I 


Albert  Edward,  Prince 
of  Wales. 

I 


Duke  of  Edinburgh 


Albert  Victor  Edward. 
11892. 


George  Frederick. 


energetic,  skilful  young  men,  and  promoted  them  over 
the  heads  of  old  and  less  efficient  men,  whose  only 
recommendation  was  the  influence  their  families  pos- 
sessed in  Parliament.  The  result  of  this  energetic 
administration  was  the  expulsion  of  the  French  from 
the  valleys  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  Ohio  rivers  in 
America,  and  from  one  of  the  finest  portions  of  India. 
Quebec  and  Plassey,  associated  with  the  names  of 
Wolfe  and  Clive,  were  the  two  great  victories  won  by 
the  English  in  this  war.  They  are  still  reckoned 
among  the  decisive  conflicts  in  the  world's  history. 

On  the  Continent,  too,  Frederick  the  Great,  with 
the  aid  of  English  money,  won  campaign  after  cam- 
paign, and,  though  often  sorely  pressed,  kept  the 
French  busy  at  home.  Hence  it  is  often  said :  ''  Eng- 
land conquered  America  in  Germany."  But  before 
peace  was  made,  George  IL  was  dead,  and  Pitt  and 
Newcastle  were  no  longer  in  the  Government. 


COACH   IN   USE   ABOUT    I7OO. 


jj    ■•  *.i  ^jj^N-i'H-j; 


242 


GEORGE    II. 


('756. 


William  Pitt  was  probably  the  ablest  war  minister 
luiuiand  ever  had.  He  took  the  whole  control  of  the 
army  and  navy  into  his  own  hands.  For  instance, 
the  orders  for  the  sailin^i;-  of  fleets  were  sent  by  Pitt 
William  to  the  Admiralty  (or  navy  department),  and  the 
^''"-  Lords  of  the  Admiralty  were  compelled  to  sign 
them,  without  even  knowini;  what  they  were.  Once, 
it  is  said,  Pitt  told  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty  to 
have  a  fleet  ready  to  set  sail  the  following  Friday. 
The  Lortls  said  it  was  impossible.  I'itt  declared  that 
if  the  fleet  did  not  sail  at  the  designated  time,  there 
would  be  a  new  set  of  Lords  of  the  Admiralty.  The 
fleet  sailed  at  the  appointed  time,  and  a  few  days  later 
won  a  glorious    victory.       Pitt   especially   sought   for 


THE   HOUSE   OE   HANOVER. 

fames  /..  King  of  England. 

Elizabeth  in.  Frederick,  Elector  Palatine. 

I 
Sophia  III.  Elector  of  Hanover. 

Gcnyr^c  /.,  King  of  England. 

I  ■ 

George  II. 


Frederick,  Prince  nf  Wales. 

CrCfllXC  III. 

I 


George  IV. 


Willi'im  IV. 


I 

Albert  Edward,  Prince 
«l  Wales. 

I 


Albert  \'ictor  Edward. 
[1892. 


Diikc  of  Cumberland. 


1 

Duke  of  Kent. 

I 
Vittoy'ia. 


I 


Duke  of  Edinburgh 
I 


George  Frederick. 


1760.] 


DEATH   OF   GEORGE   II. 


243 


energetic,  skilful  young  men,  and  promoted  them  over 
the  heads  of  old  and  less  efficient  men,  whose  only 
recommendation  was  the  influence  their  families  pos- 
sessed in  Parliament.  The  result  of  this  energetic 
administration  was  the  expulsion  of  the  French  from 
the  valleys  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  Ohio  rivers  in 
America,  and  from  one  of  the  finest  portions  of  India. 
Quebec  and  Plassey,  associated  with  the  names  of 
Wolfe  and  Clive,  were  the  two  great  victories  won  by 
the  PZnglish  in  this  war.  They  are  still  reckoned 
among  the  decisive  conflicts  in  the  world's  history. 

On  the  Continent,  too,  Frederick  the  Great,  with 
the  aid  of  English  money,  won  campaign  after  cam- 
paign, and,  though  often  sorely  pressed,  kept  the 
l^Yench  busy  at  home.  Hence  it  is  often  said :  "  tLng- 
land  conquered  America  in  Germany."  But  before 
peace  was  made,  George  IL  was  dead,  and  Pitt  and 
Newcastle  were  no  longer  in  the  Government. 


COACH    IN    USE    ABOUT    I7OO. 


:\.  ^^J&'.:^.<Hi£tJh!SMf']^B9Kf£!J:'K 


M^l^i^ 


■'^JMt^Jj&.^^'^&L 


244 


GEORGE   III. 


[1760. 


CHAPTER   XXXIII. 


Charac- 
ter 
new 
reign 


GEORGE    III. 

I 760-1 778. 

Part  I.     1760-1820. 

THE  new  king  was  quite  unlike  his  Hanoverian 
predecessors.  They  were  Germans,  while  he 
was  born  an  Englishman.  They  were  content  to  have 
En"-land  governed  by  constitutional  ministers,  as  long 
as  everything  went  well,  and  their  pleasures 
oTtheWere  not  restricted.  But  George  the  Third  had 
been  brought  up  by  his  mother  with  very  high 
notions  of  the  rights  of  an  English  king.  She 
was  always  saying  to  him,  **  George,  be  king!  "  and  he 
set  to  work  to  "be  king"  in  earnest.  This  was  now 
easier  than  it  would  have  been  in  the  earlier  part  of 
the  century,  for  long  years  of  power  had  split  the 
Whig  party  into  cliques,  and  it  was  no  longer  able  to 
resist  royal  encroachment.  In  1761  Pitt  wished  to 
declare  war  against  Spain,  which  was  plainly  preparing 
to  attack  England.  He  was  overruled  by  the  influ- 
ence of  the  king,  and  resigned.  Soon  after  other 
changes  were  made,  and  Newcastle,  in  disgust,  retired. 
These  things  were  done  by  the  advice  of  Lord  Bute, 
the  Scottish  favorite  of  the  king,  who  became  Prime 

Minister. 

The  war  with  Spain  followed,  as  Pitt  had  foretold. 
But  the  enthusiasm  he  had  aroused  remained,  and 
Havana  was   captured  from   the    Spaniards.     In  1763 


17^3] 


PEACE  OF  PARIS. 


245 


GEORGE   III.  IN    1767  :     FROM   A   PAINTING   BY  ALLAN    RAMSAY 
IN   THE   NATIONAL   PORTRAIT  GALLERY. 


peace  was  made,  England  retaining  nearly  all  her  con- 
quests, and  exchanging  Havana  for  the  Floridas. 
In  this  way  all  of  North  America  east  of  the   PariT 
Mississippi  River,  with  the  exception  of  New   ^^^  ^ 


Peace  of 


:^44 


('.i:oR(ii:  III. 


[  1 760. 


{  iL\i'ri:K   xxxiii. 

r:r.(>K(.K    MI. 

1700-177.'^. 

Pari    I.     1760-1S20. 

'"T^III-:  nru  kin-  was  (|uitr  unlike  bis  Hanoverian 
1  predecessors.  They  were  (iernians,  while  he 
was  born  an  I-n-lishinan.  They  were  content  to  have 
lui-lantl  o;overne(l  by  const itutional  ministers,  as  Ion- 
as  everything;  went  well,  and  their  pleasures 
!'''*7m..  were  n./t  restricted.  Hut  (ieor-e  the  Third  had 
"^'''         been  brou-ht   ui)  by  his  mother  with   very  hi.i;h 

rt'i"n  !~^  \         J 

notions  of  the  ri-hts  of  an  iMi-liNh  kin-.  She 
was  always  sayin.i,^  to  him,  ''(ieor-e,  be  kin-!  "  and  he 
set  ttiwcak  to  *' be  kin-"  in  earnest.  This  was  now 
easier  than  il  won  hi  have  been  in  the  earlier  part  ot 
the  century,  for  hm-  years  n\  power  had  s])lit  the 
Whi-  partv  int(»  cliciues,  and  it  was  n(»  longer  able  to 
resist  royal  encroachment.  In  I7<")i  Pitt  wished  to 
declare  war  aiC'^"^^  Spain,  which  was  phiinly  prei)arin- 
to  attack  I'ji-land.  He  was  overruled  by  the  influ- 
ence of  the  kin-,  and  resi-ned.  Soon  alter  other 
chai^-es  were  made,  and  Newcastle,  in  dis-ust,  retired. 
These  thin-s  were  done  by  the  advice  (»f  Lord  Hute, 
the  Scottish   favorite  of  the  kin-,  who  became  Prime 

Minister. 

The  war  with  Si)ain  followed,  as  Titt  had  foretold. 
Hut  the  enthusiasm  he  had  aroused  remained,  and 
Havana  was    captured    from    the    Si)aniards.      In    1763 


.763.  J 


I'EACE   OF   PARIS. 


245 


r.KoRC.K    III.   fX    T7<')7  :     I'K(JM    A    rAINIINC,    l:V    AI.rAN    RAMSAY 
IN     rUK    N'ATIoXAI     i'oRTKXrr    CAI.I.KKV. 


peace  was  made,  bji-land  retain ini;-  nearly  all  her  con- 
quests,  and  exchan-in-  Havana  for  the  bdoridas. 

r  I   •  11  NT         1        A  •  "1  Ptaceol 

In   this  way  all   ol    Xorlli   America  east   ot  the    Paris 
Mississipj)i    Ri\er,  with   tlie  exception   of    New    ^*'^''''' 


246 


GEORGE  III. 


[1763- 


Orleans,   came  into  England's   hands.     In   India  was 
laid  the  foundation  of  her  present  splendid  empire. 

Nevertheless,  many  Englishmen  thought  Lord  Bute 
had  obtained  less  than  England's  due  at  the  end  of  a 
long  and  successful  war.  The  treaty  was  fiercely  at- 
tacked in  the  House  of  Commons.  Bute  employed 
Henry  Fox  to  buy  enough  votes  to  carry  the  treaty 
through.  For  his  success  in  this  dishonorable  effort, 
he  was  raised  to  the  peerage  as  Lord  Holland,  but  he 
never  recovered  the  esteem  of  men.  Lord  Bute  now 
suddenly  resigned,  and  Pitt's  brother-in-law,  George 
Grenville,  became  the  real  head  of  the  Government. 
Bute's  turning  Pitt  out  of  office,  and  then  bringing  the 
war  to  such  a  tame  conclusion,  made  him  very  unpop- 
ular. He  was  attacked  from  all  sides,  and  pamphlet 
after  pamphlet  was  written  against  him. 

Perhaps  the  boldest  attack  was  made  by  John  Wilkes, 
in  a  paper  called,  in  direct  allusion  to  Bute's  Scottish 
j^j^„  birth,  "The  North  Briton."  This  John  Wilkes 
Wilkes,  ^vas  a  most  extraordinary  man.  His  character 
was  as  bad  as  it  could  be,  and  his  personal  appearance 
was  so  singular  that  one  would  have  supposed  he  would 
have  had  no  influence  at  all.  But  his  conversation 
was  so  brilliant  that  in  five  minutes  one  forgot  his  evil 
looks,  and  his  talents  were  so  great  that  Benjamin 
Franklin  once  said :  "  Had  Wilkes  had  a  good  charac- 
ter, and  George  the  Third  a  bad  one,  the  former  would 
have  turned  the  latter  out  of  his  kingdom."  As  it 
was,  Wilkes  gave  the  king  and  his  ministers  a  good 
deal  of  trouble.  The  Government  decided  to  punish 
him  for  writing  the  articles  in  ''The  North  Briton." 
To  make  an  arrest  sure,  a  general  warrant  was  issued 
to  arrest  the  authors  of  the  paper,  not  specifying  any 


1763I 


JOHN   WILKES. 


247 


one  of  the  authors  by  name.     Wilkes  was  arrested,  but 
Charles  Pratt,  Chief  Justice  of  the  Court  of  Common 


A   SITTING   IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  COMMONS   IN    1741-42  :   FROM   AN   ENGRAVING   BY   PINE. 


Pleas,    who   later  became   Lord    Chancellor  Camden, 
ordered  his  release,  on  the  ground  that  as  a  member  of 


248 


GEORGE   III. 


[1763. 


1765.] 


THE  REGENCY  QUESTION. 


249 


the  House  of  Commons  he  was  free  from  arrest  ex- 
cept for  certain  things,  of  which  writing  newspaper 
attacks  was  not  one.  A  little  later,  general  warrants 
were  also  declared  to  be  illegal.  The  majority  of  the 
House  of  Commons,  however,  was  on  the  side  of  the 
Government,  and  by  vote  expelled  Wilkes  from  his 
seat.  Soon  after  he  was  wounded  in  a  duel,  and  com- 
pelled to  flee  to  France,  and  then  was  declared  to  be 
an  outlaw.  But  ''Wilkes  and  Liberty"  became  a 
popular  cry,  and  before  long  the  Government  had  more 
trouble  with  Wilkes  himself. 

The  ministry  now  became  involved  in  another  quar- 
rel, one  result  of  which  was  the  independence  of  the 
The  United  States.  The  English  colonies  had  been 
American  planted  in  the  seventeenth  century,  either  as 
colonies,  commercial  ventures  or  as  places  of  refuge  for 
particular  religious  beliefs.  During  their  early  years 
of  weakness  and  poverty  they  had  received  little  help 
or  encouragement  from  the  mother  land.  But  as  they 
grew  in  riches,  and  their  trade  became  profitable.  Par- 
liament passed  law  after  law  to  turn  their  trade  and 
commerce  to  the  advantage  of  England.  Many  of 
these  laws  were  so  severe  they  could  not  be  enforced. 
This  was  especially  true  of  the  tax  on  sugar  and 
molasses  imported  from  the  Spanish  and  French  West 
Indies,  which  tax  was  so  high  as  to  prevent  the  profit- 
able importation  of  such  articles  from  those  islands; 
that  is,  if  the  tax  were  paid.  The  only  result  was  to 
encourage  smuggling,  which  became  a  regular  busi- 
ness in  some  colonies.  George  Grenville  was  an  able 
lawyer,  a  hard-headed,  narrow-minded  man.  To  him 
smuggling  was  smuggling,  whether  on  the  coast  of 
Old  England  or  of  New  England.      He  lowered  the 


duty  on  sugar,  and  then  ordered  the  English  naval 
officers  to  carry  out  the  law  to  the  letter.  This  was 
done,  but  the  harshness  of  the  naval  officers  aroused 
much  irritation. 

Grenville  also  decided  that  a  force  of  regular  Eng- 
lish troops  must  be  maintained  in  the  colonies  to  keep 
the  Indians  in  order.     He  thought  it  only  right   The 
the  colonists  should  pay  a  part  of  the  expense  of  ^^^^ 
maintaining  them.     This  he  told  the   colonial   (^765)- 
agents  in  London,  and  gave  them  a  year  in  which  to 
propose  some  method  of  raising  the  required  sum.     As 
they  proposed  none,  he  carried  a  bill  through  Parlia- 
ment,  laying  a  stamp  duty  on  legal  documents  and 
newspapers  in  America.     The  Act  was  most  ill-timed. 
The  colonists  refused  to  obey  it.     Newspapers  were 
printed  without  a  stamp,  and,  after  a  time,  the  courts 
went  on  without  stamped  documents,  as  if  no  law  had 
ever  been  passed. 

As  if  these  quarrels  with  Wilkes  and  the  American 
colonists  were  not  enough,  Grenville  now  quarrelled 
with  the  king.  George  the  Third's  mind  had 
never  been  very  strong,  and  in  1765  he  became  Regency 
for  a  time  incapable  of  ruling.  It  seemed  ^^^ '°"' 
necessary  to  provide  some  one  to  take  his  place  in  case 
of  future  attacks.  So  Grenville  drew  up  a  bill  to  pro- 
vide for  the  appointment  of  a  Council  of  Regency. 
The  king's  mother  was  very  unpopular,  and  it  was 
thought  best  to  omit  her  name  altogether  from  the 
list  of  persons  to  be  appointed,  for  if  it  were  put  in, 
the  Commons  would  surely  strike  it  out.  The  king 
consented  to  omit  it.  But  when  the  bill  came  to 
the  Commons  they  insisted  upon  its  insertion.  The 
king  was  furious.      He  dismissed  Grenville  on  the  first 


250 


GEORGE  III. 


[1766. 


opportunity,  and  another  Whig  faction  came  into  office 
under  the  lead  of  the  Marquis  of  Rockingham,  whose 
private  secretary  was  an  Irishman  named  Edmund 
Burke. 

The  Rockingham  ministry  was  really  disliked  by  the 
king,  and  had  but  a  narrow  majority  in  the  Commons, 
Stamp  so  it  accomplished  very  little.  The  Stamp  Act 
repealed  ^^^  indeed  repealed,  but  the  repeal  was  accom- 
{1766).  panied  by  a  Declaratory  Act,  declaring  the 
right  of  Parliament  to  legislate  for  the  colonies  "  in 
all  cases  whatsoever."  The  colonists,  however,  were 
so  overjoyed  at  the  repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act  that  they 
paid  no  attention  to  this  other  Act.  The  king  then 
turned  out  the  Whigs,  and  prevailed  on  William  Pitt, 
now  raised  to  the  peerage  as  Earl  of  Chatham,  to  be 
the  head  of  a  new  ministry.  As  he  was  getting  feeble, 
the  Duke  of  Grafton  became  nominal  Prime  Minister. 
Charles  Pratt  was  in  the  new  government  as  Lord 
Chancellor  Camden,  and  Lord  Shelburne,  a  friend  of 
the  colonists,  was  Colonial  Secretary.  Charles  Towns- 
hend  was  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer,  and  Lord  North 
held  a  subordinate  office.  In  fact  so  many  different  ele- 
ments were  represented  in  this  ministry  that  Edmund 
Burke  laughingly  called  it  a  "Mosaic  Ministry."  Be- 
fore the  Government  was  fairly  started.  Lord  Chatham 
became  seriously  ill,  and  retired  to  the  country.  In 
his  absence,  and  in  accordance  with  the  Declaratory 
Act,  Townshend  passed  a  bill  through  Parliament  lay- 
ing duties  on  glass,  paper,  tea,  and  painters'  colors 
imported  into  the  colonies.  Townshend  did  this 
merely  to  fulfil  an  idle  boast,  and  almost  immediately 
died.  His  place  was  taken  by  Lord  North.  Unable 
to  prevent  such   measures,    Shelburne   resigned,   and 


^^^^^^V^^^^a^^^^^KJ^ 


1768.] 


WILKES  AGAIN. 


251 


Chatham,  as  soon  as  he  recovered  sufficiently  to  realize 
what  was  going  on,  also  resigned.  In  1770  Camden 
and  Grafton  followed,  and  Lord  North  became  Prime 
Minister. 

The   king  had   now  accomplished   his   object.     By 
sinecure  offices,   bribes,  and  other  corrupt  means  he 
had   gathered   about  him    a    party,   known   as  ^^^^^ 
"The  Kin":'s  P>iends,"  devoted  to  his  inter-  King's 

Friends." 

ests.  This  party  now  supported  Lord  North, 
and  from  1770  to  1782  King  George  III.  governed  very 
despotically,  as  no  king  had  governed  since  the  days 
of  James  II.,  and  as  none  has  governed  since.  Once 
in  a  while  Lord  North  objected  to  the  royal  policy, 
and  threatened  to  resign.  But  the  king  appealed  to 
his  personal  loyalty,  and  Lord  North,  to  his  discredit, 
remained  in  office.  Though  including  such  men  as 
Chatham  and  Camden  in  the  Lords,  and  Burke  and 
Charles  James  P'ox  in  the  Commons,  the  Opposition 
was  able  to  accomplish  nothing  against  Lord  North 
and  the  King's  Friends.  One  man  there  was  who 
seemed  singly  a  match  forking  and  Parliament  com- 
bined, and  this  man  was  John  Wilkes. 

In  1768  Wilkes  had  returned  from  France,  and  been 
elected  to  Parliament  as  one  of  the  members  for  the 
County  of  Middlesex.  The  House  of  Commons  wiikes 
declared  him  incapable  of  sitting  in  that  House,  ^s^^"- 
and  ordered  a  new  election.  Wilkes  was  again  re- 
turned; and  this  was  again  repeated  till  the  House 
ordered  the  man  having  the  next  largest  number  of 
votes  to  be  considered  the  elected  member.  Up  to 
this  time  the  debates  which  took  place  in  Parliament 
were  not  reported  and  published,  because  the  two 
Houses  would  not  permit  it.      Sometimes  the  speeches 


252 


GEORGE   III. 


[1770. 


of  members  were  printed  as  speeches  delivered  in  "the 
Senate  of  Great  Lilliput, "  or  some  such  place,  and 
the  names  of  the  speakers  were  never  given  in  full. 
In  1770,  however,  some  of  the  debates  were  published 
without  any  such  attempt  at  concealment.  The  Com- 
mons decided  to  punish  the  printers,  and  sent  their 
officers  into  the  city  of  London  to  arrest  the  culprits. 
But  the  officers  were  themselves  arrested  and  taken 
before  the  Lord  Mayor,  Brass  Crosby  by  name,  and 
Aldermen  Wilkes  and  Oliver.  These  magistrates 
decided  that  the  officers  of  the  Commons  could  arrest 
no  one  within  the  limits  of  the  city  without  the  con- 
sent of  a  city  magistrate.  Then  the  Commons  or- 
dered Crosby  and  Oliver  to  appear  in  their  places,  for 
they  were  members  of  the  House,  and  to  justify  their 
conduct.  They  also  ordered  Wilkes  to  appear  at  the 
bar  of  the  House  and  defend  himself.  Crosby  and 
Oliver  did  as  they  were  ordered,  and  were  sent  to 
prison.  But  Wilkes  refused  to  appear  except  in  his 
place  as  member  for  Middlesex,  and  the  House  of 
Commons  was  afraid  of  another  struggle  with  him,  for 
the  London  mob  took  his  side.  It  ordered  him  to 
present  himself  on  a  certain  day,  and  then  adjourned 
over  that  day,  so  that  he  could  not  appear.  This  was 
the  end  of  the  contest,  and  ever  since,  the  debates  in 
the  Houses  of  Parliament  have  been  published.  The 
Opposition  had  sided  with  Wilkes.  As  time  went  on 
they  took  the  part  of  the  American  colonists,  and  in 
this  way  the  maintenance  of  the  king's  policy  in  Eng- 
land and  America  came  to  be  regarded  as  a  single 
question.  This,  of  course,  made  reconciliation  with 
America  even  more  difficult  than  before. 

The  Townshend  duties  gave  rise  to  so  much  irrita- 


1773] 


THE  BOSTON  TEA  PARTY. 


253 


tion  in  the  colonies  that  in  1770  they  were  repealed, 
with  the  exception  of  the  tax  on  tea,  which  was  re- 
tained at  the  command  of  the  king:.     It  chanced 


Tea  sent 

at  this  time  that  the  En^^lish  East  India  Com-  to  the 

^  colonies. 

pany  was  in  great  need  of  funds.  The  Govern- 
ment loaned  it  money,  and,  in  return,  secured  a  voice 
in  its  affairs.  To  still  further  help  it  out  of  its  diffi- 
culties, the  Government  gave  it  the  privilege  of  export- 
ing tea  from  its  London  warehouses  to  the  colonies 
free  of  duty,  except  the  tax  which  was  to  be  collected 
in  America,  in  accordance  with  the  Townshend  duties. 

As  there  was  a  heavy  tax  on  all  tea  sold  in  England, 
this  arrangement  would  have  enabled  the  Company  to 
sell  it  to  the  colonists  cheaper  than  to  the  peo-   ^, 
pie  of  England.     In  fact,  this  was  one  reason   Boston 
why  the  Government  entered  into  the  arrange-    Party 
ment,  as  it  was  hoped  that  the  Company  would    ^^^^■^'' 
sell  its  tea  so  cheap  that  the  Americans  would  stop 
buying  smuggled  tea  from  the  Dutch  traders.      The 
colonists,  on  the  other  hand,  regarded  its  very  cheap- 
ness with  suspicion,  and  felt  that  the  Government  was 
in  effect  bribing  them  to  submit  to  taxation.     They 
everywhere  refused  to  buy  the  tea.      In  some  colonies 
the  ships   were  turned    back,    in    others   the  tea  was 
stored  in  damp  cellars,   where   it  soon   spoiled.      In 
Massachusetts,  when  Governor  Hutchinson  refused  to 
allow  the  ships  to  sail  before  their  cargoes  were  landed, 
the  people  threw  the  tea  into  the  harbor,  and  then  re- 
fused to  pay  the  Company  for  what  they  had  destroyed. 

The  English  Government  decided  to  make  an  exam- 
ple of  the  people  of  Boston  and  Massachusetts.  Laws 
were  passed  through  Parliament  closing  the  port  of 
Boston   to   commerce,  and  suspending  the  charter  of 


idtUwA^dlMfifttiaOiuMtK^AMJW 


254 


GEORGE   III. 


[1775- 


the  Province  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  Another  Act, 
passed  in  the  same  year,  extended  the  boundaries  of 
^j^g  the  Province  of  Quebec  to  the  Ohio  River,  and 
^oston  granted  many  privileges  to  the  French  Catho- 
and  lies  living  in  Canada.  By  selecting  Massachu- 
oppres-  setts  for  punishment  the  Government  no  doubt 
measures  cxpcctcd  to  Separate  her  from  the  other  colo- 
(1774)-  nies,  and  in  this  way  to  deal  with  one  colony  at 
a  time.  The  colonists,  however,  acted  in  an  entirely 
unexpected  manner,  for  they  made  the  cause  of  Massa- 
chusetts their  own.  This  view  was  entirely  just,  for  if 
Parliament  could  deal  thus  arbitrarily  with  one  colony, 
it  could  with  all.  A  Continental  Congress,  or  meeting 
of  delegates  from  all  of  the  original  English  colonies 
on  the  continent,  met  at  Philadelphia.  It  drew  up  a 
declaration  of  the  rights  of  the  colonists,  and  set  on 
foot  an  association  to  prevent  the  importation  and 
consumption  of  English  goods. 

In  1774  a  general  election  was  held  in  England,  and 

the  voters  showed  their  sympathy  for  the  Government 

by  returning  a  large  majority  to  help  the  Gov- 

ton'^and"   cmmcnt  opprcss  the  colonies.     In  fact,  for  the 

Concord  ^^^^  gj^  years,   from    1774  to    1780,   there  was 

v*775/'  .  . 

hardly  an  Opposition  in  Parliament.  During 
the  winter  of  1 774-1 775,  however,  the  colonists  were 
active  in  preparing  for  defence.  In  the  spring  of  1775 
occurred  the  skirmishes  at  Lexington  and  Concord, 
and  the  battle  at  Bunker's  Hill  (or  Breed's  Hill).  All 
resulted  practically  in  favor  of  the  colonists,  though 
they  were  obliged  to  retire  from  their  works  on  Breed's 
Hill.  Then  followed  the  siege  of  Boston  by  the  colo- 
nists, who  were  commanded  by  General  Washington. 
In  March,   1776,  the  British  were  forced  to  evacuate 


1776.] 


THE  SURPRISE  AT  TRENTON. 


255 


Boston,  and  the  scene  of  warlike  operations  was  trans- 
ferred to  New  York. 

Meantime,  Ethan  Allen  and  Benedict  Arnold  and 
their  companies  seized  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point, 
with  their  storehouses  full  of  arms  and  ammunition; 
but  later  Montgomery  and  Arnold  failed  to  capture 
Quebec,  and  the  English  General  Clinton,  with  Admi- 
ral Hyde  Parker,  were  in  their  turn  frustrated  in  an 
attempt  on  Charleston,   S.  C. 

In  July,  1776,  Congress  issued  a  Declaration  of 
Independence,  and  Articles  of  Confederation  be- 
tween the  colonies  were  drawn  up.  Owing  to  various 
causes,  however,  they  did  not  go  into  effect  until  five 
years  later,  in  178 1.  In  July,  1776,  came  proposals 
for  reconciliation  from  the  English  Government,  but 
the  terms  offered  could  not  then  be  entertained,  and 
nothing  came  of  the  attempt.  Washington  and  Howe 
once  more  confronted  each  other,  this  time  in  New 
York;  but  the  British  were  now  much  the  stronger 
party,  and  the  Americans  were  driven  from  New  York 
city  and  White  Plains,  across  the  Hudson,  through  the 
Jerseys,  to  the  southern  side  of  the  Delaware  River. 
With  ill-timed  caution  General  Howe,  instead  of  fol- 
lowing Washington  across  the  Delaware  and  fighting 
him  wherever  found,  stopped  short  and  went  into  win- 
ter  quarters,  his  line  extending  across  to  the  Jerseys 
from  Elizabeth  to  Trenton. 

In  December,  1776  affairs  looked  desperate  for  the 
Americans;  but  on  Christmas  night  Washington  re- 
crossed  the  Delaware,  surprising  and  capturing 
the  British  outpost  at  Trenton.  Before  long  surprise 
the  British  were  obliged  to  concentrate  within  Trenton 
a  short  distance  of  New  York. 


(1776). 


•  ::'3?JSSJi^Sp?pMi?W~?PP^S^^ 


256 


GEORGE  III. 


[1777- 


1* 


For  the  year  1777  a  most  elaborate  plan  was  drawn 
up.  The  main  army,  under  Howe,  was  to  seize  Phila- 
delphia, while  Clinton  should  protect  New  York  city 
and  capture  all  of  the  American  forts  he  could  on 
Hudson  River.  A  third  army,  under  Burgoyne,  would 
march  south  from  Canada  and  join  Clinton.  If  this 
plan  was  successfully  carried  out.  New  England  would 
be  cut  off  from  the  other  colonies,  to  be  subdued  at 
leisure.  Burgoyne' s  march  was  disastrous  to  him.  A 
detachment  under  St.  Leger  was  turned  back  by  the  gar- 
rison of  Fort  Stanwix  and  by  the  militia  of  the  Mohawk 
Valley  under  General  Herkimer.  Another  detachment 
was  defeated  by  the  New  Englanders,  led  by  Starke,  at 
Bennington,  while  Burgoyne  was  himself  sur- 
go"yne's    Toundcd  and  captured,  with  his  army,  at  Saratoga. 

surrender  -pj^g  American  commander  was  General  Horatio 
O777)' 

Gates;   but   to   Philip    Schuyler   and    Benedict 

Arnold  historians  give  most  credit  for  this  achieve- 
ment. Clinton,  on  his  end  of  the  line,  accomplished 
little. 

General  Howe  had  better  fortune.  Placing  his 
troops  on  transports,  he  carried  them  by  water  to  the 
head  of  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  approached  Philadelphia 
from  the  south.  Washington  met  him  at  Brandywine 
Creek,  and  was  compelled  to  retire.  Howe  then  oc- 
cupied Philadelphia,  and  maintained  himself  there, 
although  a  portion  of  his  army  was  surprised  by  Wash- 
ington at  Germantown.  The  Americans  then  retired 
to  Valley  Forge,  a  strong  position  on  the  Schuylkill. 
There  they  suffered  terrible  privations.  But  there  they 
were  drilled  by  Steuben  and  his  under-officers  till  in 
efficiency  the  "continental  line  "became  superior  to  its 
opponents. 


1778] 


THE   FRENCH   ALLIANCE. 


257 


The  principal  result,    however,  of  the  campaign  of 
1777  was  the  alliance  between  France  and  the  Ameri- 
cans.    The  present  time  seemed  to  the  French  a  good 
opportunity  to  deal  a  great  blow  at  England's 
fast-growing  colonial  empire,  and  in  this  way  to    pre^nch 
avenge  the  humiliations  of  the  Peace  of  1763.    j"'^g^j^ 
At  first  it  seemed  so  doubtful  whether  the  colo- 
nists could  keep  up  their  resistance  that  France  was 
afraid  openly  to  take  their  side.     But  the  surprise  at 
Trenton   and  the  capture  of   Burgoyne  put   a  wholly 
new  face  on  the  war. 

The  French  alliance  caused  great  excitement  in 
England.  Chatham  proposed  to  withdraw  the  troops 
from  the  colonies,  win  back  the  affections  of  the  colo- 
nists, and  oppose  a  united  front  to  the  power  of  France. 
Chatham  was  the  only  man  who  could  have  carried  out 
this  scheme.  But  the  king  refused  to  appoint  him 
prime  minister,  though  quite  willing  to  consent  to 
his  taking  office  under  Lord  North,  which  of  course 
Chatham  could  not  do.  Lord  North,  on  his  part, 
brought  forward  a  plan  for  reconciliation,  by  which  all 
the  demands  of  the  colonists,  except  independence, 
were  to  be  granted.  But  this,  like  the  former  plans, 
came  just  too  late.  Chatham  did  not  live  to  see  the 
defeat  of  the  English  by  the  French  and  their  Ameri- 
can allies.  While  making  a  speech  to  arouse  the 
spirits  of  the  peers,  he  overtaxed  his  strength,  and  a 
few  days  later  died.  He  was  given  a  national  funeral 
and  a  monument  in  Westminster  Abbey. 

The  principal  event   in  the  campaign  of    1778  was 
the  evacuation  of  Philadelphia  by  the  British.    ^^^ 
While    marching   across   the   Jerseys    to    New   mouth 
York,  their  rear  was  attacked  by  the  Americans 

17  * 


258 


GEORGE  III 


[1779- 


at  Monmouth.  Owing,  however,  to  the  treasonable 
conduct  of  General  Charles  Lee,  the  attempt  was  a 
failure. 

In  1779  neither  side  attempted  much  in  America. 
In  England,  however,  the  struggle  was  hot  and  fierce. 
General  Burgoyne  and  General  Howe  were  members 
of  the  House  of  Commons,  and  they  endeavored  to  lay 
all  the  blame  for  their  non-success  on  the  shoulders  of 
the  ministry.  In  this  attack  they  were  assisted  by 
Admiral  Keppel,  who,  with  a  large  fleet,  had  done 
absolutely  nothing.  Spain  now  joined  France  against 
England,  and  the  Irish  also  bestirred  themselves  and 
demanded  better  treatment.  In  the  face  of  all  these 
difficulties  Lord  North  wished  to  resign;  but  the  king 
prevailed  on  him  to  remain  in  office  for  a  while  longer. 
The  Opposition  now  adopted  a  new  party  cry.  For 
years  the  Whig  ministers  —  Sir  Robert  Walpole  and 
the  Pelhams  —  had  maintained  their  power  by  bribery 
and  corruption,  and  the  Whigs  had  then  seen  nothing 
wrong  in  the  system.  Now,  however,  the  king  was 
using  the  same  means  to  keep  an  obedient  ministry  in 
office,  and  to  keep  his  opponents  out.  All  the  evils  of 
government  by  corruption  became  at  once  apparent  to 
the  Whigs.  They  put  themselves  forward  as  the  advo- 
cates of  a  more  economical  administration.  They  also 
advocated  keeping  government  contractors  out  of  the 
House  of  Commons. 

In  1778  some  of  the  laws  against  the  English  Roman 
,    ,       Catholics  had  been  modified  or  repealed.     This 

Lord  . 

George  was  disagreeable  to  many  Englishmen,  and  m 
RbV  1780,  at  the  head  of  a  mob  of  sixty  thousand 
^^^^°^'  persons.  Lord  George  Gordon  carried  to  Parlia- 
ment a  petition  against  the  Catholics.     The  next  few 


1780.] 


THE   SOUTHERN   CAMPAIGNS. 


259 


days  London  was  at  the  mercy  of  the  rioters.  Houses 
were  destroyed,  shops  broken  open  and  plundered. 
At  length  the  king  took  the  matter  into  his  own 
hands,  and  the  mob  was  dispersed.  Dickens's  novel, 
"Barnaby  Rudge,"  gives  a  vivid  picture  of  all  this 
excitement. 

In  1779  Savannah  and  Georgia  were  taken  by  the 
British,  and  in  1780  Sir  Henry  Clinton  again  came 
south,  and  in  May  captured  Charleston.  He,  The 
however,  returned  soon  after  to  New  York,  ^^,  ^''" 
to  watch  the  movements  of  a  French  fleet  P^^gns. 
which  reached  Newport  in  the  summer  of  1780.  Corn- 
wallis,  Clinton's  successor  in  the  South,  defeated 
General  Gates  in  the  battle  near  Camden,  and  to  all 
appearances  put  an  end  to  resistance  in  the  Southern 
colonies.  But  not  long  after,  a  force  of  hardy  pioneers 
from  beyond  the  mountains  captured  an  important  de- 
tachment at  King's  Mountain,  and  in  December,  1780, 
General  Nathanael  Greene  came  south  and  took  charge 
of  the  resistance.  The  British,  in  January,  178 1, 
under  Cornwallis's  lieutenant.  Colonel  Tarleton,  were 
defeated  at  the  Cowpens,  and  in  a  few  weeks',  after 
much  manoeuvring,  the  two  main  armies  came  together 
at  Guilford  Court-House.  At  the  end  of  the  contest 
Cornwallis  retained  the  field  of  battle,  but  his  losses 
had  been  so  great  in  men  and  stores  that  he  was  com- 
pelled to  retire  to  Wilmington.  Thus  Greene  had  won 
the  campaign.  The  interior  of  North  Carolina  was 
clear  of  the  enemy,  and  he  marched  to  South  Carolina. 
By  the  autumn  of  1781  the  British  forces  there  were 
also  withdrawn  to  the  seaboard.  Cornwallis  marched 
north  from  Wilmington  into  Virginia,  and  Washington 
sent  Lafayette  with  the  light  troops  of  the  Continental 


26o 


GEORGE   III. 


[1780. 


line  to  watch  him.  Both  sides  ere  long  went  into  camp 
for  the  winter,  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown,  and  Lafayette 
at  Malvern  Hill,  and  later  at  Williamsburg.  In  the 
summer  of   1780    Marquis    Rochambeau    had    arrived 

at  Newport  with  a 
strong  force  of 
French  veteran  sol- 
diers ;  but  before 
the  ships,  which 
brought  this  army 
from  France,  could 
get  away,  the  Eng- 
lish fleet  appeared, 
and  blockaded  them 
in  the  harbor  of 
Newport.  The 
French  army  was 
compelled  to  wait 
at  Newport  to  pro- 
tect the  fleet,  and 
for  a  year  was  prac- 
tically useless.  In 
September,  Wash- 
ington and  Rocham- 
beau held  a  confer- 
ence. While  Wash- 
ington was  away 
from  his  army,  Benedict  Arnold,  who  had  taken  of- 
.     ,,.    fence   at  his  treatment  at    Saratoga,   formed  a 

Arnold's  ^ 

treason    plan  to  Surrender  the  strong  forts  at  West  Point, 

with    its    garrison    and    stores,    to    the  British. 

Major  Andre,  a  young  officer  of  Clinton's  army,  came 

to  West  Point  to  conclude  arrangements  with  Arnold. 


COSTUMES   OF    PERSONS   OF  QUALITY, 
ABOUT    1783. 


I781.] 


CAPTURE  OF  YORKTOWN. 


261 


Capture 


In  disguise,  and  with  compromising  papers  in  his 
boots,  he  was  captured  by  a  party  of  Americans. 
Arnold  escaped,  but  Washington  was  compelled  to 
treat  Andre  as  a  spy,  and  as  a  spy  he  was  hanged. 

During  the  summer  of  1781  it  became  known  to 
Washington  and  Rochambeau  that  a  powerful  French 
fleet  under  Comte  de  Grasse  would  arrive  at  the 
mouth  of  Chesapeake  Bay  early  in  September,  of 
It  was  decided  to  march  the  allied  army  from  town 
Newport  and  New  York  to  Virginia,  to  join  ^^ 
Lafayette  and  any  French  troops  De  Grasse  might 
bring,  and,  while  the  French  fleet  should  prevent  Clin- 
ton from  reinforcing  Cornwallis,  to  capture  him  and 
his  army.  This  programme  was  carried  out  to  the  let- 
ter. The  French  ships  at  Newport  slipped  out  of  the 
harbor,  and  reached  the  Chesapeake  safely.  De  Grasse 
and  the  allied  armies  arrived  in  good  time  to  come  to- 
gether. De  Grasse  fought  a  battle  with  the  English 
fleet;  but  while  neither  side  was  victorious,  all  the 
advantages  of  victory  were  gained  by  the  allies,  as  the 
English  fleet  was  obliged  to  return  to  New  York  for 
the  purpose  of  refitting  before  it  again  put  to  sea. 
Cornwallis  surrendered  Yorktown,  with  its  defenders, 
Oct.  19,  1 78 1.  This  was  the  last  important  conflict 
between  the  English  and  the  Americans.  But  the  war 
was  still  vigorously  prosecuted  against  the  allies  of  the 
colonies. 

The  royal  disaster  at  Yorktown  not  only  settled  the 
question  whether  America  should  be  free,  but  it  also 
decided  the  fate  of  the  North  ministry.     Lord  End  of  the 
George  Germaine,  the  Colonial  Secretary,  was  Ministry 
the  first  to  resign.     He  had  had  the  principal  ('^Si). 
direction   of    the  war    in  America,  and   to   his   mis- 


26o 


CEORCiE    III. 


[17S0 


liiK>  to  watch  him.  Both  sides  crc  loiii;  went,  into  camp 
tor  the  winter,  Cornwallis  at  \'orktown,  and  Lafayette 
at  AFalvern  Hill,  and  later  at  Williamsbur-;.  In  the 
summer  ot    iJcSo    Marciuis     Rochamheau    had    arrived 

at  Newport  with  a 
stronir  force  of 
r'rench  veteran  sol- 
diers ;  but  before 
the  ships,  which 
brou^i^ht  this  army 
from  r^ ranee,  could 
i;et  away,  the  I'.ni;- 
lish  fleet  appeared, 
and  blockaded  them 
in  the  harbor  of 
Newport.  The 
French  army  was 
compelled  to  wait 
at  Newport  to  pro- 
tect the  fleet,  and 
for  a  vear  was  prac- 
tically useless.  In 
September,  Wash- 
inL;ton  and  Rocham- 
heau held  a  confer- 
ence. While  Wash- 
ini^ton     was     away 


cusTi  .\n:s  01    rr-.RsnNS  or  qcm-itv, 
Ai'.uiT  17S3. 


from  his   army,    l^enedict    Arnold,   who  had  taken   of- 
,,     fence    at  his  treatment   at    Saratoira,    formed  a 

Arnold's  \ 

treason     plan  to  surrender  the  stronir  forts  at  West  Point, 

with    its    i;arrison    and    stores,    to    the  l^ritish. 

Major  Andre,  a  youni;-  officer  of  Clinton's  army,  came 

to  West  Point  to  conclude  arrauLTements  with  Arnold. 


17S1. 


CArTURi:   OF   VORKTOWN. 


261 


In  disguise,  and  with  compromising  papers  in  his 
boots,  he  was  captured  by  a  party  of  Americans. 
Arnold  escai)e(l,  but  Washington  was  compelled  to 
treat  Andre  as  a  spy,  and  as  a  spy  he  was  hanged. 

During  the  summer  of  1781  it  became  known  to 
Washington  aiul  Rochambeau  that  a  powerful  h'rench 
fleet  under  Comte  de  (irasse  would  arrive  at  the    „    , 

Capture 

mouth  of  Chesapeake  Bay  early  in  September,  f' 
It  was  decided  to  march  the  allied  army  from  town 
Newi)ort  and  New  York  to  Virginia,  to  join 
Lafayette  and  any  I^'rench  troops  De  Grasse  migh.t 
bring,  and,  w^hile  the  b'rench  fleet  should  prevent  Clin- 
ton from  reinforcing  Cornwallis,  to  caj^ture  him  and 
his  army.  This  programme  was  carried  out  to  the  let- 
ter. The  P^rench  ships  at  Newport  slipped  out  of  the 
harbor,  and  reached  the  Chesai)eake  safely.  De  Grasse 
and  the  allied  armies  arrived  in  good  time  to  come  to- 
aether.  De  Grasse  fought  a  battle  w^ith  the  l^nglish 
fleet;  but  while  neither  side  was  victorious,  all  the 
advantages  of  victory  were  gained  by  the  allies,  as  the 
l^jiirlish  fleet  was  obliged  to  return  to  New  York  for 
the  purpose  of  refitting  before  it  again  put  to  sea. 
Cornwallis  surrendered  Yorktown,  with  its  defenders, 
Oct.  19,  178 1.  This  was  the  last  important  conflict 
between  the  iMnrlish  and  the  Americans.  Hut  the  war 
was  still  vigorously  prosecuted  against  the  allies  of  the 
colonies. 

The  royal  disaster  at  Yorktown  not  only  settled  the 
question  whether  America  should  be  free,  but  it  also 
decided  the  fate  of  the  North  ministry.      Lord  Endofihe 
George  Germaine,  the  Colonial  Secretary,  was  Ministry 
the  first  to  resign.     He  had  had  the  principal  ('"^'^• 
direction    of    the  war    in   America,   and    to    his    mis- 


JFTWrmi  itimit 


j^ssS^b^i^^ti'jis^btfiL^  w;;i^aaRiMifetaji .  i 


"jv"   ^'S^j^f'^ 


262 


GEORGE   III. 


[1782. 


management  the  failure  of  the  British  armies  was 
largely  due.  He  was  now  raised  to  the  peerage  as 
Lord  Sackville.  As  he  had  been  dismissed  from  the 
army  during  the  Seven  Years'  War  for  disobedience  to 
orders,  many  peers  objected  to  his  sitting  in  the  House 
of  Lords;  but  they  could  do  nothing  to  prevent  it. 
The  Opposition  in  the  Commons  now  rapidly  acquired 
strength.  The  20th  of  March,  1782,  was  selected  for 
a  great  attack  on  the  Government.  But  when  that  day 
came,  Lord  North  seized  a  chance  to  speak,  and  an- 
nounced the  resignation  of  the  ministry;  and  the 
House,  as  was  its  custom,  adjourned,  to  give  the  Oppo- 
sition leaders  time  to  talk  over  their  future  plans.  It 
was  a  harsh,  wet  night,  and  the  members,  expecting  a 
long  debate,  had  sent  their  carriages  away.  Lord 
North  had  retained  his,  and  stepping  into  it,  he  re- 
marked, with  a  smile,  "You  see,  gentlemen,  the 
advantage  of  being  in  the  secret."  In  fact,  this  un- 
broken good  nature  was  Lord  North's  most  noteworthy 
characteristic.  He  even  used  to  fall  into  a  gentle 
slumber  while  Fox  and  Burke  were  attacking  him  and 
his  Government. 

The  Marquis  of  Rockingham  and  the  Whigs  now 
took  office.  Charles  James  Fox  and  Lord  Shelburne 
were  the  two  Secretaries  of  State  and  the  real  leaders 
of  the  Government,  in  which  Lord  Camden, 
Rocking.  Admiral  Keppel,  and  Edmund  Burke  had  places. 
Ministry  Lord  Chancellor  Thurlow  alone  represented  the 
^'''^^^'  king.  The  ministry  had  three  important  ques- 
tions to  settle,  —  the  conclusion  of  peace,  the  reform 
of  the  home  administration,  and  the  pacification  of 
Ireland.  The  Irish  question  will  be  best  considered 
later  in  connection  with  the  union.    To  the  Opposition 


1782.] 


THE   ROCKINGHAM   MINISTRY. 


263 


in  power  the  project  of  a  reform  of  the  administration 
in  the  direction  of  purity  and  economy  seemed  less 
desirable  than  it  had  seemed  while  others  were  enjoy- 
ing the  spoils.  It  was  desirable,  however,  at  least  to 
seem  to  carry  out  their  former  promises.     A  bill  was 


EDMUND   BURKE  :     FROM   A   PAINTING   BY  REYNOLDS   IN 
THE   NATIONAL   PORTRAIT  GALLERY, 

passed  abolishing  many  abuses,  though  not  till  the 
Whigs  had  secured  a  good  deal  of  spoil  for  themselves. 
Edmund  Burke  alone  consistently  refused  to  share  in 
the  general  distribution. 

The   Rockingham    ministry   had    come    into   power 
mainly  on  account  of  the  disasters  in  America.      Peace 


262 


GEORGE   III. 


[1782. 


management  the  failure  of  the  British  armies  was 
largely  due.  He  was  now  raised  to  the  peerage  as 
Lord  Sackville.  As  he  had  been  dismissed  from  the 
army  during  the  Seven  Years'  War  for  disobedience  to 
orders,  many  peers  objected  to  his  sitting  in  the  House 
of  Lords;  but  they  could  do  nothing  to  prevent  it. 
The  Opposition  in  the  Commons  now  rapidly  acquired 
strength.  The  20th  of  March,  1782,  was  selected  for 
a  <rreat  attack  on  the  Government.  Hut  when  that  day 
came,  Lord  North  seized  a  chance  to  speak,  and  an- 
nounced the  resignation  of  the  ministry;  and  the 
House,  as  was  its  custom,  adjourned,  to  give  the  Oppo- 
sition leaders  time  to  talk  over  their  future  plans.  It 
was  a  harsh,  wet  night,  and  the  members,  expecting  a 
long  debate,  had  sent  their  carriages  away.  Lord 
North  had  retained  his,  and  stepping  into  it,  he  re- 
marked, with  a  smile,  "You  see,  gentlemen,  the 
advantage  of  being  in  the  secret."  In  fact,  this  un- 
broken good  nature  was  Lord  North's  most  noteworthy 
characteristic.  He  even  used  to  fall  into  a  gentle 
slumber  while  Fox  and  Burke  were  attacking  him  and 
his  Government. 

The  Marquis  of  Rockingham  and  the  Whigs  now 
took  office.  Charles  James  Fox  and  Lord  Shelburne 
were  the  two  Secretaries  of  State  and  the  real  leaders 
of  the  Government,  in  which  Lord  Camden, 
Rocking-  Admiral  Keppel,  and  lulmund  Burke  had  places. 
Ministry  Lord  Chauccllor  Thurlow  aloiie  represented  the 
^'''^'^"  king.  The  ministry  had  three  important  ques- 
tions to  settle,  —  the  conclusion  of  peace,  the  reform 
of  the  home  administration,  and  the  pacification  of 
Ireland.  The  Irish  question  will  be  best  considered 
later  in  connection  with  the  union.     To  the  Opposition 


17S2.J 


THE   ROCKINGHAM   MINISTRY. 


263 


in  power  the  project  of  a  reform  of  the  administration 
in  the  direction  of  purity  and  economy  seemed  less 
desirable  than  it  had  seemed  while  others  were  enjoy- 
ing the  spoils.  It  was  desirable,  however,  at  least  to 
seem  to  carry  out  their  former  promises.     A  bill  was 


EDMUND   BURKE  :     EROM   A   PAINTING   KY   REYNOLDS   IN 
THE   NATIONAL   PORTRAIT  GALLERY. 

passed  abolishing  many  abuses,  though  not  till  the 
Whigs  had  secured  a  good  deal  of  spoil  for  themselves. 
Edmund  Burke  alone  consistently  refused  to  share  in 
the  general  distribution. 

The    Rockingham    ministry    had    come    into    power 
mainly  on  account  of  the  disasters  in  America.      Peace 


i 
I 

i 


i 


264 


GEORGE  III. 


[1782. 


with  America  was  their  policy.     They  believed  that 
the  Americans  might  be  detached  from  the  French  as 
the  price  of  independence,  provided  ample  concessions 
in  the  way  of  boundaries  were  made  in  return.     Now 
it   so   happened   that   John   Jay,    himself    of    French 
descent,  and  John  Adams,  two  of  the  American  com 
missioners  to  negotiate  a  treaty  of  peace,  distrusted 
the  French  Government.     They  believed  that  France 
was  using  the  United  States  as  a  tool  for  her  own 
ends,  and  was  really  opposed  to  the  extension  of  the 
new  state  as  far  as  the  Mississippi  River.     It  is  proba- 
ble that  Jay  was  right  in  his  belief;  but  for  a  long  time 
the   third  commissioner,   Benjamin  Franklin,  refused 
to  believe  him.     The  treaty  of  alliance  provided  that 
neither  party  should  make  peace  without  the  other,  and 
the  instructions  to  the  American  commissioners  ordered 
them  to  act  in  conjunction  with  the  French  Govern- 
ment.     Finally,  however.   Jay  prevailed.      The  com- 
missioners broke  their  instructions,  and,  without  the 
knowledge   of    the    French    Government,   con- 
dencT""  eluded  an  agreement,  or  set  of  articles,  which 
^dgT^"  should  be  made  into  a  treaty  whenever  France 
^'78^^-    and  England  should  make  peace.     In  this  way 
the  United  States  became  an  independent  nation,  with 
boundaries  extending  as  far  as  the  Mississippi  on  the 
west,  and   as  far  south  as  the  thirty-first  parallel  of 
latitude.     Before  the  treaty  was  actually  concluded, 
Rockingham  died,  and  Fox,  who  had  quarrelled  with 
Shelburne,  withdrew  from  the  Government  with  his 
friends.     Shelburne  became  Prime  Minister,  and  had 
for  his  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  a  young  man  of 
twenty-three,  —  William    Pitt,  —  the  younger  son  of 
the  Earl  of  Chatham. 


1783.] 


CONCLUSION   OF  THE  WAR. 


265 


After  the  disaster  at  Yorktown,  England  was  every- 
where successful.      Gibraltar,  which  the  Spaniards  and 
French  had  been  besieging  since  1779,  was  re-   ^^^^,^ 
inforced,  and  supplied  with  provisions  in  1782.    su^n^^ 
In  the  same  year  Admiral  Rodney  defeated,  with    war 
great  loss,  the  Comte  de  Grasse  off  Martinique.     '^  ^^' 
These  two  disasters  made  F'rance  and  Spain  willing  to 
make  peace  on  reasonable  terms,   and  in   September, 
1783,  the  treaties  were  signed  at  Versailles  and  Paris. 
In  the  course  of  the  war  Spain  had  overrun  the  Flori- 
das,  and  at  the  peace  she  retained  all  of  North  America 
south  of  the  United  States,  as  well  as  Louisiana,  west 
of  the  Mississippi  River. 


ROYAL   ARMS,   AS   BORNE   FROM    1801    TO   1816  :     THE   HANOVERIAN 
SCUTCHEON,   SURMOUNTED   BY  AN   ELECTORAL    BONNET. 


Kli 


266 


GEORGE  III. 


[1783. 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 


GEORGE    III. 


1 760-1820. 
Part  II.    1 783-1820. 


POR  years  Charles  James  Fox  and  Lord  North  had 
1      sat  on  opposite  sides  of  the  House  of  Commons, 
The        and  had  abused  each  other  in  the  most  outra- 
tion-'     geous  fashion.     They  now  joined  hands,  or  coa- 
('7^3)-     lesced,  to  turn  Shelburne  out  of  office,  and  put 
themselves  in.     Between  them  they  possessed  a  large 
majority  in  the  House  of  Commons.     In   1783  Shel- 
burne resigned,   and   North  and  Fox  came  in.     The 
king  was  furiously  indignant.     He  hated  Fox,  and  did 
not  wish  to  have  anything  to  do  with  him.      But  he  was 
enraged  above  all  at  the  ingratitude  of  Lord  North, 
for  whom  he  had  done  so  much.     At  first  the  king 
declared  he  would  go  to  Hanover.     But  sober  second 
thought  convinced  him  it  would  be  better  to  endure 
Fox  and  North  for  a  while  till  something  should  turn 
up  which  would  bring  about  their  downfall.      He  did 
not  have  long  to  wait. 

The  English  East  India  Company  had  made  itself 
master  of  a  large  part  of  India.  The  Company  was 
Fox's  first  of  all  a  business  venture,  and  must  pay 
^^^  dividends  to  its  stockholders.  The  hostility 
('783).  of  the  French,  and  the  desire  to  extend  the 
Company's  boundaries,   gave  rise  to    incessant  wars, 


1783] 


WILLIAM  PITT,   PRIME   MINISTER. 


267 


which  cost  enormous  sums  of  money.  The  Gover- 
nor-general was  now  Warren  Hastings.  To  meet  the 
demands  for  funds  in  India  and  in  England  he  had 
resorted  to  many  tyrannical  measures,  and  great  hard- 
ship and  oppression  to  the  natives  had  resulted.  It 
was  perfectly  plain  that  this  state  of  things  could 
not  be  allowed  to  exist  indefinitely.  Fox  and  Burke 
drew  up  a  bill  for  the  better  government  of  India,  by 
which  the  political  control  of  the  country  was  placed 
under  the  Home  Government.  This  was  all  very 
well,  except  that  Fox  so  arranged  matters  that  the 
appointment  to  the  offices  in  India  would  be  in  his 
hands,  or  in  those  of  his  political  friends,  even  if  he 
ceased  to  be  in  the  ministry.  This  of  course  aroused 
great  opposition.  The  king  saw  his  chance,  and  when 
the  bill  came  to  the  Lords,  declared  he  should  regard 
any  peer  who  voted  for  it  as  his  personal  enemy.  The 
measure  was  defeated,  and  the  king  sent  an  under- 
officer  to  tell  North  and  Fox  that  they  were  dismissed. 
He  chose  as  his  new  Prime  Minister  William  Pitt,  now 
twenty-four  years  of  age. 

While  still  a  youth  in  appearance,  William  Pitt,  as 
a  political  leader  and  debater  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, had  no  equal.  As  a  war  minister  and 
orator  he  was  inferior  to  his  father;  in  all  else  piu' 
he  was  his  superior.      Besides  the  small  party  M^i^.^ter 

called   the    "King's    Friends,"   and   those   few  (»7«3- 

1801). 

members  who  remained  true  to  his  father's 
principles,  William  Pitt  had  no  adherents  in  the  Com- 
mons. In  fact,  almost  all  his  companions  in  the  minis- 
try were  members  of  the  House  of  Peers.  Alone, 
therefore,  he  faced  the  combined  oratory  of  Fox,  Burke, 
Sheridan,  and  Lord  North.     But  the  lack  of  principle 


William 


268 


GEORGE   III. 


[1783- 


1788.] 


TRIAL   OF   WARREN   HASTINGS. 


269 


shown  by  Fox  and  North  in  making  their  coalition  had 
disgusted  a  great  many  people.  One  by  one  their  ad- 
herents went  over  to  the  side  of  Pitt  and  the  king, 
till  the  majority  against  him  was  reduced  to  one. 
Then  Parliament  was  dissolved.  In  the  general  elec- 
tion which  followed, 
one  hundred  and  sixty 
of  Fox's  friends 
("Fox's  Martyrs," 
they  were  called)  lost 
their  seats.  Pitt  had 
a  great  majority,  and 
it  was  full  half  a  cen- 
tury before  the  Whig 
party  recovered  from 
the  effects  of  this 
blow. 

Secure  now  of  a  ma- 
jority, Pitt  brought 
in  a  new  India  Bill, 
Pitt's  establishing  a 
^^^  Board  of  Con- 
(17S4).  ^j.qY  resident  in 

England,  and  consist- 
ing of  members  of  the 
ministry,   as   the   su- 
preme governing  body.     The  business  management  of 
the  Company  was  left  to  its  directors.     This  system 
lasted  till   1858. 

The  leading  feature  of  the  first  half  of  Pitt's  long 
ministry  was  his  financial  policy.  He  was  a  friend 
and  disciple  of  Adam  Smith,  and  believed  in  interna- 
tional friendliness  in  matters  of  business.     For  cen- 


PITT  SPEAKING  IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  COM- 
MONS: FROM  HUCKEL's  PAINTING  IN 
THE  NATIONAL  PORTRAIT  GALLERY. 


turies  England  and  France  had  been  injuring  each 
other's  trade  as  much  as  possible.  It  seemed  to  Pitt 
best  that  the  two  countries  should  buy  of  one  an- 

Pitt's 

Other  what  each  country  could  best  produce.  A  financial 
commercial  treaty  between  them  was  made.  Pitt  p°^^^^" 
wished  to  extend  the  same  principle  by  establishing 
freedom  of  trade  between  Ireland  and  England.  But 
English  manufacturers  were  too  much  afraid  of  Irish 
competition,  and  the  scheme  fell  through.  Pitt  also 
thought  that  England  should  try  to  pay  her  national 
debt,  and  he  set  on  foot  a  plan  by  which  this  would 
be  accomplished  in  time.  For  a  while  this  scheme 
worked  well;  but  in  the  great  wars  which  soon  fol- 
lowed, all  thought  of  paying  the  debt  was  for  a  time 
abandoned,  and  the  money  already  saved  for  the  pur- 
pose was  used  to  prosecute  the  war.  Another  scheme 
that  Pitt  had  much  at  heart  was  a  reform  of  the  repre- 
sentation in  the  House  of  Commons.  But  the  time 
had  not  yet  come  for  this,  and  the  plan  failed. 

In  1785  Warren  Hastings  returned  home  from  India. 
While  drawing  up  their  India  Bill,  Fox  and  Burke 
had  come  across  acts  that  seemed  like  extortion  and 
tyranny  on  the  part  of  Hastings.  They  now  Trial  of 
presented  Articles  of  Impeachment ;  and  as  Pitt  HasThTgs 
refused  to  interfere  in  the  matter,  Hastings  was  ('^ss). 
impeached.  The  trial  began  before  the  Peers  in  1788, 
and  continued  at  intervals  for  seven  years.  Hastings 
was  finally  acquitted. 

In  1788  the  king  again  became  insane.     The  Prince 
of  Wales  was  the  boon  companion  of  Fox,  who  now 
proposed   that   the   prince  should,    of   his  own   ^j^^ 
authority,  assume  the  title  of  re2:ent,  with  full   regency 

stru2["le 

power.     Of  course  this  meant  the  overthrow  of   (17883. 


26S 


flFDKCK    HI, 


[1783- 


shown  by  Fox  and  North  in  niakin.i;  their  coalition  had 
dis^i;ustcd  a  great  many  people.  One  by  one  their  ad- 
herents went  over  to  the  sitle  of  Pitt  and  the  kin<;, 
till  the  majority  against  him  was  reduced  to  one. 
Then  Parliament  was  dissolved.  In  the  general  elec- 
tion wliich  followed, 
one  hundred  and  sixty 
oi  Fox's  friends 
("  h'ox'  s  Martyrs," 
they  were  called)  lost 
tlieir  seats.  Pitt  had 
a  great  majority,  and 
it  was  full  half  a  cen- 
tury before  the  Whig 
party  recov^ered  from 
the  effects  of  this 
blow. 

Secure  now  of  a  ma- 
jority,    Pitt     brought 
in  a  new  India  Hill, 
Pitt's    establishing      a 
L-jii       JM)ard    01     Lon- 
i^^^)-  trol  resident  in 
England,  and  consist- 
ing of  members  of  the 
ministry,   as    the    su- 
preme governing  body.      The  business  management  of 
the  Company  was   left  to  its  directors.      This  system 
lasted  till    1858. 

The  leading  feature  of  the  first  half  of  Pitt's  long 
ministry  was  his  financial  policy.  He  was  a  friend 
and  disciple  of  Adam  Smith,  and  believed  in  interna- 
tional friendliness  in  matters  of  business.      For  cen- 


rrrr  spkakixc.  in  thk  ikjusp:  or  com- 
mons ,•  IKUM  IIUCKKl/s  PAINTING  IN 
Tilt:  NATIONAL  1'ORTR.VIT  (.;ALLERY. 


1788.1 


TRIAL   OF   WARREX    HASTINGS. 


269 


turics  luigland  and  France  had  been  injuring  each 
other's  trade  as  much  as  possible.  It  seemed  to  Pitt 
best  that  the  two  countries  should  buy  of  one  an- 
other what  each  country  could  best  produce.  A  liiumciai 
commercial  treaty  between  them  w^as  made.  Pitt  ^'"^'^-^' 
wished  to  extend  the  same  principle  by  establishing 
freedom  of  trade  between  Ireland  and  Pjii-land.  Put 
P^nglish  manufacturers  were  too  much  afraid  of  Irish 
competition,  and  the  scheme  fell  through.  Pitt  also 
thought  that  Phigland  should  try  to  jiay  her  national 
debt,  and  he  set  on  foot  a  plan  by  which  this  would 
be  accomplished  in  time.  P^or  a  while  this  scheme 
worked  well;  but  in  the  great  wars  which  soon  fol- 
lowed, all  thought  of  paying  the  debt  was  for  a  time 
abandoned,  and  the  money  already  saved  for  tlie  jnn-- 
pose  was  used  to  prosecute  the  war.  Another  scheme 
that  Pitt  had  much  at  heart  was  a  reform  of  the  repre- 
sentation in  the  House  of  Commons.  But  the  time 
had  not  yet  come  for  this,  and  the  plan  failed. 

In  1785  Warren  Hastings  returned  home  from  India. 
While  drawing  up  their  India  l^ill,  Vox  and  Purkc 
had  come  across  acts  that  seemed  like  extortion  and 
tyranny  on  the  part  of  Hastings.  They  now  THai  of 
l^resentcd  Articles  of  Impeachment;  and  as  Pitt  nalj^jls 
refused  to  interfere  in  the  matter,  Hastinirs  was  ('/"•'^•'^)- 
impeached.  The  trial  began  before  the  Peers  in  1788, 
and  continued  at  intervals  for  seven  years.  Hastings 
was  finally  acquitted. 

In  1788  the  king  again  became  insane.     The  Prince 
of  Wales  was  the  boon  companion  of  P^ox,   who  now 
proposed    that    the    prince  should,    of    his  own    ^^^ 
authority,   assume  the  title  of  regent,  with  full    't'sency 

stru"^"lc 

power.      Of  course  this  meant  the  overthrow  of   OjsT). 


t  ^t  .■S^■'*tA^i'>l^.«M^■^i  ^     WM-KiJ^ftVS}ai 


270 


GEORGE  III. 


[1793- 


Pitt.  It  happened  that  Pitt  and  the  doctors  re- 
garded the  king's  attack  as  temporary.  Pitt  thought 
it  would  be  more  agreeable  to  the  king  when  he  re- 


HEAD-DRESS  OF  A   LADY  (MRS.  ABTNGTON),  ABOUT  I778  :     FROM 


THE   "  EUROPEAN    MAGAZINE." 


covered  to  find  affairs  as  little  changed  as  possible. 
He  therefore  proposed  to  limit  the  powers  of  the  re- 
gent, at  least  until  the  king  should  become,  in  the 
opinion  of  the  doctors,  permanently  insane.     To  this 


1793-1     FRANCE  DECLARES  WAR  AGAINST  ENGLAND.    271 


Fox  would  not  listen,  and  while  the  two  sides  were 
still  debating,  the  king  recovered,  and  Pitt  was  firmer 
than  ever  in  his  office. 

In  1789  began  the  great  social  upheaval  in  France 
known  as  the  French  Revolution.     At  first  most  Eng- 
lishmen sympathized  with  the  movement.     But   The 
when  it  became  apparent  that  the  revolutionary    ^"^^^f" 
leaders  were  aiming  to  establish  a  democratic   ^'°"- 
form  of   government,   many  Englishmen    took   alarm. 
At  the  same  time  societies  for  political  reform  sprang 
up  in  England.     Edmund  Burke  became  the  leader  of 
those   opposed   to  change.     He  wrote  a  book  called 
"Reflections    on   the    French    Revolution."      In    this 
book  he  enlarged  on  the  democratic  tendencies  of  the 
French  Revolution,   and  called  the   Frenchmen    "the 
ablest  architects  of  ruin  that  have  hitherto  existed  in 
the  world." 

For  four  years  Pitt  maintained  a  policy  of  non- 
intervention. But  in  1792  France  offered  aid  to  all 
nations  who  would  overthrow  their  rulers.  In  1793 
those  who  sympathized  with  the  excesses  in  France 
grew  more  outspoken  in  England.  Pitt,  now  himself 
alarmed,  called  out  the  militia,  and  carried  an  Act 
through  Parliament  giving  the  Government  France 
control  of  the  movements  of  aliens  or  strangers  war^'^^ 
visiting  England.  France  now  declared  war  E^n'^^nd 
on  England,  although  she  was  even  then  at  war  (^793)- 
with  nearly  all  western  Europe.  At  the  time,  Pitt's 
attitude  of  repression  and  opposition  was  greatly 
applauded.  But  some  historical  writers  now  regard 
it  as  a  very  great  political  blunder. 

During  the  early  years  of  this  war  Pitt  contented 
himself  with  hiring  Austria  and  Prussia  to  fight  Eng- 


2/0 


GEORGE  III. 


fi793 


Pitt.  It  happened  that  Pitt  and  the  doctors  re- 
garded the  king's  attack  as  temporary.  Pitt  thought 
it  would  be  more  agreeable  to  the  king  when  he  re- 


HEAD-DRESS  OF  A   LADY  (MRS,  AHTNGTON),  AKOUT  I77S  :     FROM 


THE   "  EUROPEAN    MAC.AZINE." 


covered  to  find  affairs  as  little  changed  as  possi])le. 
He  therefore  proposed  to  limit  the  powers  of  the  re- 
gent, at  least  until  the  king  should  become,  in  the 
opinion  of  the  doctors,  permanently  insane.     To  this 


T793]      FRANXE  DECLARES  WAR   AGAINST  ENGLAND.     2/ 1 

Fox  would  not  listen,  and  while  the  two  sides  were 
still  debating,  the  king  recovered,  and  Pitt  was  firmer 
than  ever  in  his  office. 

In   1789  began  the  great  social  upheaval  in  France 
known  as  the  French  Revolution.      At  first  most  En"-- 
lishmcn  sympathized  with  the  movement.      But    Ti,e 
when  it  became  api:)arent  that  the  revolutionarv    i^?''"^'^ 

'  J       Kev(jlu- 

leaders  were  aiming  to  establish  a  democratic  ''^»- 
form  of  government,  many  Englishmen  took  alarm. 
At  the  same  time  societies  for  political  reform  sprang 
up  in  luigland.  Edmund  Burke  became  the  leader  of 
those  opposed  to  change.  He  wrote  a  book  called 
"Reflections  on  the  French  Revolution."  In  this 
book  he  enlarged  on  the  democratic  tendencies  of  the 
P'rench  Revolution,  and  called  the  Frenchmen  "the 
ablest  architects  of  ruin  that  have  hitherto  existed  in 
the  world. " 

For  four  years  IMtt  maintained  a  policy  of  non- 
intervention. But  in  1792  France  offered  aid  to  all 
nations  who  would  overthrow  their  rulers.  In  179'^ 
those  who  symjxithized  with  the  excesses  in  France 
grew  more  outspoken  in  England.  Pitt,  now  himself 
alarmed,  called  out  the  militia,  and  carried  an  Act 
through  Parliament  giving  the  Government  France 
control  of  the  movements  of  aliens  or  strangers  war'"'''" 
visiting  England.  France  now  declared  war  f^XL.x 
on  iMigland,  although  she  was  even  then  at  war  (''"^3)- 
with  nearly  all  western  Europe.  At  the  time,  Pitt's 
attitude  of  repression  and  opposition  was  greatly 
applauded.  But  some  historical  writers  now  regard 
it  as  a  very  great  political  blunder. 

During  the  early  years  of  this  war  Pitt   contented 
himself  with  hiring  Austria  and  Prussia  to  fi<>-ht  Eno-- 


rjd^.^^i^i^^.^k 


272 


GEORGE   III. 


[1797- 


land's  battles  on  the  land.  He  also  helped  the  royal- 
ists to  return  to  France  to  stir  up  disaffection  and  re- 
Pitt's  hellions  against  the  central  government  atParis. 
policy.  Qf  course  the  English  navy  was  not  idle.  As 
the  war  went  on,  Pitt's  home  policy  became  more  and 
more  repressive.  The  most  insignificant  publications 
and  disturbances  were  treated  as  the  beginnings  of 
revolution.  But  there  seems  to  have  been  no  real 
danger,  although  there  was  much  suffering  among  the 
^  .  working-people,  and  although  the  king  was  more 
payments  than  oncc  insultcd  in  the  streets.  Then  fol- 
suspen  j^^^^  ^  great  scarcity  of  money  in  England. 
(»797)-  jvji^^ch  was  sent  abroad  by  the  Government,  and 
much  was  hoarded  at  home  by  careful  people.  At 
length  the  cash  in  the  Bank  of  England  was  so  dimin- 
ished that  the  Government  ordered  it  to  suspend  specie 
payments,  and  they  were  not  resumed  till  18 19, 

In  this  year,  1797,  two  mutinies  broke  out  in  the 
fleet, —  one  at  Spithead,  by  the  Isle  of  Wight,  the 
Mutinies  othcr  at  the  Nore,  in  the  Thames.  The  sailors 
fleet ^  were  soon  brought  to  terms,  and  many  of  their 
^^'''^^^"  demands  granted.  A  few  months  later  some  of 
these  very  seamen  won  the  battle  of  Camperdown  over 
the  Dutch  and  French  fleet. 

France  was  now  at  peace  with  all  the  rest  of  Europe, 
and  as  she  could  not,  owing  to  this  disaster  at  Camper- 
down,  attack  England  directly,  she  sent  an  army 

Invasion  ,  .    ^     i  •  i  t- 

of  to  seize  Egypt,  which  lies  on  the  road  to  bng- 

^^^''  land's  possessions  in  India.  The  leader  of  this 
invasion  was  Napoleon  Bonaparte.  On  his  way  to 
Egypt  he  seized  the  island  of  Malta,  which  up  to  that 
time  had  been  in  the  hands  of  the  Knights  of  Malta. 
All  this  time  there  was  in  the  Mediterranean  a  great 


1779.]       IRELAND   IN  THE   EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         273 

English  fleet  commanded  by  Admiral  Nelson;  but  he 
did  not  find    Napoleon's  fleet  till  the    French   Battle 
general  had    been  on  shore   about   two  weeks,    ^iie^ 
Nelson  attacked  it  as  it  lay  at  anchor  in  Aboukir    <»798). 
Bay,  and  captured  or  destroyed  all  but  two  of  the  French 
ships.     The  French  army  never  left  Egypt.     But  in 
1799  Napoleon  returned  home,  and  made  himself  ruler 
of  France.     We  must  now  turn  to  Ireland;   for  the 
French   now   helped   the    Irish   against    England,    as 
formerly  they  had  assisted  the  Scots. 

The  Irish  Roman  Catholics  formed  the  great  mass 
of  the  population  of  Ireland,  but  they  were  ruled  over 
by  the  small  minority  of  English  and  Scottish 
Protestants.      Successive  conquests  had  given   in  the 

eigh- 

nearly  all  the  power  to  the  Protestants.  They  teenth 
regarded  the  Irish  Catholics  as  a  half-barbarized  ""  ^^^' 
and  degraded  race,  much  as  some  of  our  ancestors  in 
this  country  regarded  the  negro.  An  Irish  Roman 
Catholic  could  not  marry  a  Protestant.  He  could  not 
serve  on  a  grand  jury,  practise  law,  or  act  as  a  magis- 
trate. He  was  not  allowed  to  carry  arms,  and  it  was 
against  the  law  for  him  to  educate  his  children  through 
Roman  Catholic  teachers.  He  was  compelled  to  pay 
taxes  for  the  support  of  the  Established  Protestant 
Church,  which  he  detested.  And  finally  he  could 
neither  sit  in  any  Parliament  nor  vote  for  a  member 
of  any  Parliament. 

During  the  American  Revolution  the  English  troops 
previously  stationed  in  Ireland  were  sent  to  America, 
and  an  association  of  Protestant  Volunteers  was   The 
formed  to  preserve  the  peace  in   Ireland.     In   teers" 
1779,   under  the    lead  of   Henry  Grattan,    the   ^^^79)- 

Volunteers  turned  against  the  Government,  and  some 

18 


274 


GEORGE  III. 


[1798. 


1800.] 


THE  UNION. 


275 


modifications  of  the  trade  laws  were  made.  In  1782 
the  Catholics  joined  the  Protestants  in  urging  their 
demands,  and  the  Rockingham  ministry  so  far  yielded 
as  to  give  up  the  right  of  the  British  Parliament  to 
legislate  for  Ireland. 

The  ideas  of  equality  forced  on  the  world  by  the 
French  Revolution  spread  to  Ireland,  and  in  1789  a 
The  great  association  of  Catholic  and  Protestant 
of^hi^  Irishmen  —  The  United  Irishmen  —  was  formed. 
UnUed     jj^  j  ^^^  ^j^^-j  j  j^^  ^^^q  ^^^.^s  wcrc  passcd,  repealing 

men.  the  morc  odious  laws  against  the  Catholics,  and 
even  allowing  them  to  vote  for  members  of  the  Irish 
Parliament.  But  as  no  Catholic  could  sit  in  that 
Parliament,  this  last  right  really  amounted  to  little. 
Later  a  bill  was  introduced  to  allow  Catholics  to  sit  in 
Parliament.  But  the  king  became  convinced  that  if  he 
assented  to  this  he  would  violate  his  coronation  oath, 
which  obliges  him  to  maintain  the  Protestant  Church 
as  established  by  law.     The  plan  was  abandoned. 

The    Irish   leaders    now   thought   the   only  way  to 
secure   their  rights  lay   in   complete  separation  from 
Great   Britain.      To  counteract  them  the  Protestants 
formed  a  secret  society,   calling   themselves   Orange- 
men,  in  memory  of  William  of  Orange.     The 

Rebellion  '  ,    ^      ,      ,.  ,     i   r  •  i 

(1796-  discontented  Catholics  appealed  tor  aid  to  the 
'"^^  French,  and  in  1796  a  French  fleet  anchored  off 
the  Irish  coast.  A  storm  arose,  and  no  Irish  appeared, 
and  the  fleet  returned  to  France.  When  the  French- 
men were  gone,  the  Irish  rose  in  various  places.  The 
rebellion  was  soon  put  down  with  much  vigor  and  great 
cruelty  by  General  Lake.  The  only  conflict  worthy 
the  name  of  battle  was  at  Vinegar  Hill,  in  1798.  In 
1799  ^he  French  decided  to  invade  England,  and  also 


i 


attack  her  on  her  weak  side  in  Ireland.  But  the 
French  and  Spanish  fleets  were  thoroughly  beaten  by 
the  English,  off  Cape  St.  Vincent,  and  nothing  came 
of  this  attempt. 

Lord  Cornwallis  now   became  Lord    Lieutenant,   or 
Governor,  of  Ireland.     He  had  for  his  secretary  Lord 
Castlereagh,   a  young  Irish   Protestant.     They 
soon    decided   that    the    only    cure    for    Irish      Union 
troubles  was  a  union  with   England,   like   the      ^'^°'^' 
union   made  with    Scotland    in   the    early  part   of  the 
century.     Pitt  had  already  made  up  his  mind  that  this 
would  be  the  best  policy.     So  Cornwallis  and  Castle- 
reagh secured  a  majority  of  the  Irish  Parliament  to  vote 
its  dissolution.     In  1800  the  Act  of  Union  passed  the 
Parliaments  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland.     By  this  Act 
Ireland  was  to  send  one  hundred   commoners  to  the 
House  of  Commons  of  the  United  Kingdom ;  while  the 
Irish  peerage  was  to  be  represented  in  the  House  of 
Lords  by  twenty-eight  Irish  peers,  elected  for  life. 

The  Irish  Catholics  had  not  opposed  the  Union, 
probably  because  they  expected  Catholics  would  be 
allowed  to  sit  in  the  Parliament  of  the  United  Kine- 
dom.  What  promises  Pitt  and  Cornwallis  may  have 
made  is  not  known.  But  Pitt,  when  he  found 
that  the  king  would  not  permit  any  con-  RebeiUon^ 
cessions  to  be  made  to  the  Catholics,  felt  ^'^°^^* 
obliged  to  resign.  In  fact,  the  Irish  Catholics  gained 
nothing  by  the  Union.  Their  discontent  resulted  in 
Emmett's  Rebellion  in  1803.  It  was  easily  put  down, 
and  Emmett  was  hanged. 

Pitt  was  followed  by  Addington,  whose  principal  re- 
commendation for  office  was  the  favor  of  the  king. 
By  this  time  Napoleon  had  conquered  most  of  west- 


ifiUSi^ak  :#t:?£uA'-, 


2^6 


GEORGE   TIL 


[1805. 


F807.] 


TORY  MINISTRY. 


277 


i 


em  E:urope,  while  the  English  had  been  successful 
Peace  of  wherevcF  their  navy  could  be  used  to  advan- 
Amiens.  ^^^^  There  seemed  to  be  no  way  of  attacking 
each  other  directly,  and  in  1802  peace  was  made  at 
Amiens. 

This  peace,  however,  did  not  last  long.  Neither 
party  trusted  the  other,  and  neither  France  nor  Eng- 
land acted  in  perfect  good  faith.  In  addition,  England 
^^^^  furnished    a    refuge   to    Frenchmen    hostile    to 

renewed  Napolcou,  and  from  London  they  attacked 
him  in  the  newspapers  with  great  violence. 
So  in  1803  the  war  began  anew.  It  lasted  till  181 5, 
and  was  waged  by  England  and  her  allies  against  the 
ambitious  designs  of  Napoleon,  who  took  the  title  of 
Emperor  of  the  French. 

Napoleon's  first  idea  was  to  invade  England,  and 
he  made  great  preparations  to  embark  his  army  at 
Boulogne.  He  had  control  of  the  fleets  of  France, 
Holland,  and  Spain,  and  determined  to  combine  them 
against  the  English  fleet,  and  thus  make  the  passage 
for  his  army  to  England  secure.  But  now  once  more  the 
English  showed  their  great  superiority  on  the  water. 
Admiral  Nelson  caught  the  French  and  Spanish  fleet 
Trafalgar  o^  Cape  Trafalgar.  He  hoisted  at  his  mast- 
(1805).  head  his  famous  signals,  which  read,  "  England 
expects  every  man  to  do  his  duty !  "  The  allied  fleet 
numbered  thirty-three  line-of-battle  ships,  and  seven 
smaller  vessels.  Nelson  had  with  him  but  twenty- 
seven  ships.  Of  those  forty  ships  of  the  allies  only 
eight  ever  reached  a  friendly  port.  It  was  only  on  the 
sea,  however,  that  the  French  were  defeated.  On  the 
land  they  were  everywhere  victorious.  The  Austrians 
joining  the  English,  Napoleon   captured  one  Austrian 


army  at  Ulm,  in  October,  and  overthrew  a  combined 
army  of  Austrians  and  Russians  at  Austerlitz  on  De- 
cember 2d,   1805. 

Meantime   William    Pitt    had    again    become    Prime 
Minister.      His  health  had   always   been   poor,     .  , 
and  these  disasters  to  England's  allies,  coupled    Second 
with  the  attacks  of  the   Opposition    at   home,    (1804- 
proved  too  great  a  burden.     In  January,  1806, 
he  died.     A  ministry  was  now  formed,  comprising  men 
of  all    parties ;    hence    it   was   called   the  min-    ah  the 
istry  of  "All    the   Talents."      Lord    Grenville    '[^^^^ 
and  Mr.  Fox  were  its  leading  members.     Fox    '^°7) 
was    Foreign    Secretary.      He    had   always    maintained 
that   if  Napoleon    were    treated    fairly,  he    would    act 
honestly  in  return      In  a  short  time  he  was  undeceived ; 
and,  worn  out  by  care  and  dissipation,  he  followed  Pitt 
to  the  grave.     Side  by  side  the  two  are  buried  in  West- 
minster Abbey. 

''  The  mighty  chiefs  sleep  side  by  side. 
Drop  upon  Fox's  grave  the  tear, 
'Twill  trickle  to  his  rival's  bier; 
O'er  Pitt's  the  mournful  requiem  sound, 
And  Fox's  shall  the  notes  rebound." 

Left  to  himself,  Lord  Grenville  tried  to  modify  the 
laws  against  the  Catholics  serving  in  the  army,  and  was 
dismissed  by  the  king.     A  Tory  ministry  was   Tory 
then  formed,  which  lasted,  with  some  changes,   ^Jg^o;-'^ 
till  1827.     Mr.  Spencer  Perceval  was  at  first  the    '^^7). 
real  head  of  this  Government,  though  for  a  time  he  only 
held  the  office  of  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer.     The 
two  most  remarkable  members  were  Mr.  Georee  Can- 
ning   and    Lord    Castlereagh,    Secretaries    for    Foreign 
Affairs  and  War. 


2-]% 


GEORGE   III. 


[1809. 


1809.J 


THE   PENINSULAR   WAR. 


279 


While  these  changes  had  been  taking  place  in  Eng- 
land, Napoleon  had  in  turn  defeated  the  Prussians,  the 
Russians,  and  the  Austrians.  In  fact  the  Czar 
of  Russia  became  for  a  while  the  ally  of 
Napol.eon,  who,  to  strengthen  his  position, 
married  a  daughter   of  the   Emperor  of  Austria.     He 


Napo- 
leon's 
successes 


f't 


LORD   NELSON  .*     FROM   THE    PICTURE    BY  ABBOTT   IN   THE 
NATIONAL   PORTRAIT  GALLERY. 


was  now  master  of  Europe,  with  the  exception  of 
Spain  and  England.  He  again  turned  his  attention 
to  the  invasion  of  the  latter  country.     During  all  this 


time  the  Danes  had  preserved  a  good-sized  and  well- 
manned  fleet.  Napoleon  resolved  to  add  these  vessels 
to  those  he  still  controlled,  and  with  their  aid  attack 
England.  But  Canning  heard  of  Napoleon's  plans,  and 
sent  an  English  fleet  to  Copenhagen  which  seized  the 
Danish  fleet  and  brought  it  to  England.  Thus  once 
again  all  fears  of  invasion  were  removed. 

Napoleon  then  conquered  Spain,  and  tried  to  make  his 
brother  king  of  that  country.     But  the  Spaniards  were  a 
high-spirited  people,  and  resisted  this  foreign 
domination.    The  English  at  first  sent  the  Span-  Spanish 
iards  money  and   arms,  and   then  an    army  to 
help  them.     But  these  early  eff"orts  produced  little  per- 
manent result.     In  1809,  too,  the  English  tried  to  seize 
Antwerp,  and    failed   most    ignominiously.     This  same 
year,  however,  a  considerable  force  of  soldiers       . 
was  sent  to   Portugal,  and  the  Peninsular  War  Weiiesiey, 
really  began.     The  commander  of  the  English  Weiiing- 
army  was  Sir  Arthur  Wellesley.    He  had  already 
done  good  service  in  Portugal,  and  at  a  still  earlier  day 
had  achieved  c^reat  distinction  in  India,  where  he  had 
won,  against    great   odds,  the    battles    of  Argaum    and 
Assaye.      In  a  short  time  he  drove  the  French  from 
Portugal,  and,  entering  Spain,  beat  them  at  Talavera, 
For  this  victory  he  was  raised  to  the  peerage  as  Lord 
Wellington  of  Talavera. 

Before  long  he  was  compelled  to   retire  to  Lisbon, 
near  which  town,  at  Torres  Vedras,  he  had  constructed 
great  works  to  shelter  his  army.     On  his  retreat  ^^^^ 
he    destroyed    or   carried    away    every    eatable  Penm- 
thing;    and    when  the  French   reached   Torres  (1S09- 
Vedras,  they  could  not  attack  him,  and  retreated   ^  ^^  ' 
back  to   Spain  again,  to  avoid  being  starved.      Many 


27S 


(iKukia-:  ill. 


(1S09. 


While  these  chanL,^es  had  been  taking  place  in  l^ig- 
land,  Xapuleon  had  in  turn  defeated  the  Prussians,  the 
Russians,  and  the  Austrians.  Jn  fact  the  Czar 
of  Russia  became  for  a  while  the  ally  of 
Napoleon,  who,  to  streni;then  his  position, 
married  a  daui;hter   of  the    J'^mperor  of  Austria.     J  le 


Napo- 

IfKll's 


LORD    NKLSON  :     FROM     TUF.    I'jrrrRK    V.Y   AUIiOTT   TN    IHE 
NATIONAL   I'ORTRArT   CALLKKV. 


was  now  master  of  Europe,  with  the  exception  of 
Spain  and  l^UL^^and.  He  ac^ain  turned  his  attention 
to  the  invasion  of  the  latter  countrv.     Duriu'^  all   this 


1 809.  J 


THE    I'EMXSL'LAR    WAR. 


279 


time  the  Danes  had  preserved  a  good-sized  and  well- 
manned  fleet.  Napoleon  resolved  to  add  these  vessels 
to  those  he  still  controlled,  and  with  their  aid  attack 
England,  l^ut  Canning  heard  of  Napoleon's  plans,  and 
sent  an  English  fleet  to  Copenhagen  which  seized  the 
Danish  fleet  and  brought  it  to  T^ngland.  Thus  once 
again   all  fears  of  invasion  were  removed. 

Napoleon  then  conquered  Spain,  and  tried  to  make  his 
brother  king  of  that  country.     But  the  Spaniards  were  a 
high-spirited   people,  and   resisted    this   foreign 
domination.    The  iMiglish  at  first  sent  the  Span-  Spanish 

,  ,  ,       ,  resistance 

lards   money  and    arms,   and    then   an    army  to 
help  them.      But  these  early  efforts  produced  little  per- 
manent result.     In  1S09,  too,  the  h^nglish  tried  to  seize 
Antwerp),  and    failed   most    ignominiousl)'.     This   same 
year,  however,  a  considerable  force  of  soldiers   .  ^, 

-^  Arthur 

was  sent  to  Portugal,  and  the  Peninsular  War  Weiicsiev, 
really  began.  The  commander  of  the  l^.nglish  WeiUng 
army  was  Sir  Arthur  Wellesley.  He  had  already 
done  good  service  in  Portugal,  and  at  a  still  earlier  day 
had  achieved  great  distinction  in  India,  where  he  had 
won,  against  great  odds,  the  battles  of  Argaum  and 
Assaye.  In  a  short  time  he  drove  the  Erench  from 
Portugal,  and,  entering  Spain,  beat  them  at  Talavera. 
Eor  this  victory  he  was  raised  to  the  peerage  as  Eord 
Wellington  of  Talavera. 

Before  long  he  was  compelled  to   retire   to  Lisbon, 
near  which  town,  at  Torres  Vedras,  he   had  constructed 
great  works  to  shelter  h.is  army.     On  his  retreat  ,^,j^^ 
he    destroyed    ov   carried    away    every    eatable   i^^'i'm- 

-^  .  sular  War 

thin^f;    and    when   the   Erench   reached   Torres  (iSoq- 

ON 

Vedras,  they  could  not  attack  him,  and  retreated   '' '  *  " 
back   to   Spain   again,  to   avoid   being  starved.      Many 


28o 


GEORGE  III. 


[1814. 


English  writers  regard  this  as  the  turning-point  of  the 
war,  and  say  that  the  lesson  taught  by  Wellington  at 
Torres  Vedras  saved  Europe.  At  all  events,  from  this 
time  on,  Napoleon  was  attacked,  first  on  this  side,  and 
then  on  that.    We  cannot  follow  Wellington's  campaigns 


f 


THE   DCJKE   OF  WELLINGTON  :   FROM   A   KUST  BY    FRANCIS 
IN   THE  NATIONAL   PORTRAIT  GALLERY. 

in  detail.  For  years  the  war  went  on  with  varying  for- 
tune. At  last,  in  181 3,  Wellington  overwhelmed  the 
French  at  Vittoria,  and,  forcing  them  north  over  the 
Pyrenees,  compelled  their  surrender  at  Toulouse  in 
1814. 

But  on  the  day  of  this  surrender  Napoleon  was  no 
longer  Emperor.     In  18 12  he  quarrelled  with  the  Czar, 


1812.] 


WAR  WITH  THE   UNITED   STATES. 


281 


and  invaded  Russia.     Of  his  great  army  a  mere  fraction 
returned  to  France.    The  Prussians  and  Austrians  joined 
the  Russians.     Napoleon,  defeated  at  Leipzig, 
retreated  from  Russia.     The  allies  pressed  on,   leon't 
while  Wellington  entered  France  from  the  south,   '^°''"^^"- 
and  Napoleon  abdicated.     He  was  allowed  to  retire  to 
the  little  island  of  Elba.     Louis  XVL's  brother  became 
king  of  France  as  Louis  XVIIL,  and  the  allies  held  a 
great  Congress  at  Vienna  to  undo,  if  possible,  the  work 
of  the  French  Revolution  and  Napoleon.     Lord  Castle- 
reagh  and  Wellington,  now  become  Duke  of  Wellington, 
represented  England  at  this  meeting. 

While  all  this  had  been  going  on  in  Europe,  England 
had  become  involved  in  a  war  with  the  United  States. 
As  one  means  of  injuring  Napoleon,  the  English 
(jovernment  had  issued  a  proclamation,  or  Order    1S12 
in  Council,  as  it  was  called,  declaring  all  the   UnUed^ 
ports  of  Europe,  from  Brest  to  the  Elbe,  closed   ^*^'^'* 
or  blockaded  to  commerce.     Napoleon  had  replied  with 
the  Berlin  Decree,  declaring  Great  Britain  blockaded. 
Now  there  was   some  excuse    for   this    first    Order  in 
Council,  as  the  English  were  actually  blockading  the 
ports  of  France  and  Holland.     But  Napoleon  could  not 
keep  a  French  fleet  on  the  sea,  and,  what  was  still  more 
laughable,  at  this  very  moment  when  he  declared  the 
commerce  of  England  at  an  end,  his  own  soldiers  were 
wearing  clothes  made  in  England.     Orders  in  Council 
and    Decrees    now    followed    in    quick   succession.       It 
happened  that  the  only  neutral  nation  possessing  any 
ships  at  that  time  was  the  United   States,   and  these 
decrees  ruined  many  American  shipowners.     Then,  too, 
there  was  another  cause  of  disagreement  with  England; 
for  English  cruisers  were  in  the  habit  of  stopping  Amer- 


jM^jeTJinMiaa-iiijaiaii  *>•»  jaJ>;te:a 


2So 


CKORGE    III. 


[1814. 


1S12.J 


WAR    Wnil     1111:    I  XI'IKI)    STATKS. 


2.S1 


I':ni,rlish  writers  rcc^^ird  this  as  the  turning-point  of  the 
war,  and  say  that  the  lesson  tau-ht  by  W'ellini^ton  at 
Torres  VY-dras  saved  luirope.  At  all  events,  froni  this 
time  on.  Napoleon  was  attacked,  first  on  this  side,  and 
then  on  that.     We  cannot  follow  Wellinj/ton's  cami)ai!'ns 


THE  ncKF.  OF  WEi.MNcn.N  :  iRo.M  a  hust  i:v  I  R.wcrs 

IN    1H1-;   NATIONAL    roRlRAIT   f.ALLKkV. 

\n  detail.  For  years  the  war  went  on  with  varyini^  for- 
tune. At  last,  in  1S13.  Wellini^ton  overwhelmed  the 
iM-ench  at  Vittoria,  and.  forcin;^^  them  north  over  the 
Tyrences,  compelled  their  surrender  at  Toulouse  in 
1814. 

Hut   on   the  day  of  this  surrender  \apolcon  was  no 
lon-cr  I'.mperor.     In  1S12  he  (piarrelled  with  the  Czar, 


and  invaded  Russia.  Of  his  L^reat  army  a  mere  fraction 
returned  to  JMance.  The  Prussians  and  Austrians  joined 
the   Russians.      Xapoleon,   defeated   at   Leinziir, 

Vii 

retreated  from  Russia.  The  allies  pressed  on,  kn.rs 
while  W'ellin-ton  entered  iM'ance  from  the  south,  ^'"'"''''"• 
and  \ai)oleon  abdicated,  lie  was  allowed  to  retire  to 
the  little  island  of  I'Jba.  Louis  XVT.'s  bnHher  became 
kin-- of  JM-ance  as  Louis  XVIIL,  and  the  allies  held  a 
!^n-eat  Con-^ress  at  X'ienna  lo  undo,  if  i)ossible,  the  work 
of  the  hVeiich  Rex'olution  and  Xa])oleon.  Lord  Castle- 
rea,L;h  and  W'elliuL^ton,  now  become  Duke  of  Wellin-'ton 
rei)resented  h^n^iaiul  at  this  meetiuL^-. 

While  all  this  had  been  i^ohv^  on  in  luirope,   I-ji-^land 
had  become  involved  in  a   war  with   the   United   .Slates. 
As  one  means  of  injurinc^^  Xai)oleon,  the  ICnj^lish 
Government  had  issued  a  proclamation,  or  ( )rder    '^'  ^  ' 
in   Council,   as   it   was   called,   declarini,^  all  the    rniul'r 
ports  of  luirope.  from  Hrest  to  the  LJbe,  closed    '^^"'" 
or  blockaded  to  commerce.     Xapoleon  had  replied  with 
the   JkM-lin   Decree,   declarinii^r  Qvciit   Ih'itain   blockaded. 
Now   there   was    some   excuse    for    this    first    Order    in 
Council,   as   the   l^ni^iish   were   actualh'   blockadin*^  the 
ports  of  JM-ance  and  Holland.      lUit  Xapoleon  could  not 
keep  a  JM-ench  ileet  on  the  sea,  and,  what  was  still  more 
lauj^hable,   at   this   very   moment  when   he  declared  the 
commerce  of  pjii^dand  at  an  end,  his  own   soldiers   were 
wearini,^  clothes  made   in    hji-iand.     Orders   in    Council 
and    Decrees    now    followed    in    ({uick    succession.       It 
hai)pcned  that  the  only  neutral   nation   possessing-  any 
ships   at   that   time    was    the    United    States,    and    these 
decrees  ruined  man\'  .\merican  shipowners.     Then,  too, 
there  was  another  cause  of  disa_!:;reement  with  Ijii^land  ; 
for  LnL;lish  cruisers  were  in  the  habit  of  stopi)ini^^  Amer- 


I-  '-{Kr-V  D>i»r  jdl^llUfa 


llH  llfimiM  III!       II   III       I  ASM...-       -i     y     »      £•..•  r    'I    .^>,, 


282 


GEORGE   III, 


[1815 


ii 


ican  ships,  and  seizing  any  British  seamen  they  found  on 
board.  As  British  and  American  seamen  looked  much 
ahke,  many  Americans  were  seized,  and  much  irritation 
was  aroused.  The  war  broke  out  in  18 12,  and  lasted  till 
1 8 14,  when  it  was  concluded  by  a  treaty  made  at  Ghent. 
The  principal  result  of  the  war  for  America  was  the  loss 
of  the  fishery  rights  the  Americans  enjoyed  under  the 
treaty  of  1783.  As  for  England,  the  war  diverted 
resources  soon  to  be  sorely  needed  elsewhere. 

The  allies  did  not  get  on  very  smoothly  in  their  dis- 
cussions at  Vienna,  nor  did  Louis  XVIII.  win  the  good 
Napo-  will  of  the  French  people.  In  March,  18 15, 
rSum  Napoleon  landed  on  the  southern  coast  of 
(1815).  France.  All  the  troops  sent  to  oppose  him 
went  over  to  his  side,  and  he  reached  Paris  without 
any  trouble,  and  once  more  ruled  France  as  Emperor. 
The  allies  dissolved  the  Congress,  and  determined  to 
crush  Napoleon  at  once,  before  he  could  consolidate 
his  power. 

The  Duke  of  Wellington  (the  **  Iron  Duke,"  as  his 
soldiers  called  him)  took  command  of  the  English  and 
Belgians  in  Belgium,  while  a  strong  Prussian  army  under 
Marshal  Blucher  marched  to  his  aid.  The  Russians  and 
Austrians  entered  France  from  the  east.  Napoleon 
determined  to  attack  Wellington  and  Blucher  before 
they  could    unite.     He  defeated  the   Prussians 

vv  rttcnoo. 

juneisth,  at  Ligny,  and  then  marched  to  Waterloo,  and 
attacked  Wellington  on  June  i8th,  18 15.  For 
hours  the  English  maintained  their  groimd,  even  after 
the  Belgians  had  fled.  At  length,  in  the  early  evening, 
the  Prussians  appeared.  They  attacked  the  French  with 
vigor,  and  in  a  short  time  all  was  over.  Napoleon  fled 
to   Paris;    thence  to  the  seaboard,   where   he  tried   to 


1819.] 


COMMERCIAL   DEPRESSION. 


283 


embark  for  America.  That  plan  failing,  he  surrendered 
himself  to  the  English.  To  their  keeping  he  was  con- 
fided by  Europe.  For  six  years,  till  his  death,  in  1821, 
he  lived  on  the  island  of  St.  Helena,  strictly  guarded. 

The  next  five  years  were  marked  by  great  distress 
and  suffering  in  England.     During  the  war  Englishmen 
had  been  obliged  to  rely  upon  England  alone        . 
for   food.      The    price    of  meat   doubled,    and   turai 

_,.  distress 

that  of  breadstuffs  increased  threefold.  This 
great  rise  led  to  undue  extension  of  grain-raising,  and 
to  a  great  rise  of  rents.  At  the  return  of  peace 
prices  of  breadstuffs  fell  nearly  one-half.  Great  num- 
bers of  farmers  were  ruined.  The  demand  for  labor 
in  the  fields  declined,  and  there  was  great  suffering 
throughout  the  farming  districts.  The  land-  corn  Law 
owners  were  represented  in  Parliament,  how-  °^  ^^^5- 
ever,  and  a  law  was  passed  forbidding  the  importation 
of  wheat  till  the  price  of  English  grown  wheat  had 
reached  a  high  figure.  This  helped  the  farmers,  but 
increased  the  distress  of  the  manufacturing  population. 

During  the  years  of  war  great  inventions  were  made  in 
the  arts,  and  steam  began  to  be  used  to  drive  machinery 
in  large  factories.  Manufacturing  by  hand  was  still 
practised,  and  the  hand-workers  saw  with  dismay  a 
machine  set  going  in  their  neighborhood,  capable  of 
making  as  much  in  one  day  as  all  the  workers  of  commer- 
the  village  could  make  in  a  month.  The  working-   ciai  de- 

pression. 

men   thought    the    trouble  was  with   the   new 
inventions,   and   bands  of  them   went   about   breaking 
machinery.     They  were  called  Luddites,  from  a   The 
crazy  lad,  John  Ludd,  who  set  the  evil  example.    Luddites. 
The  working-men  now  fell  under  the  influence  of  agita- 
tors.    In    1 8 16  a  meeting  was  held  on  Spa  Fields,  in 


I'-'  .^i 


^  Vif&Sl-Wi 


284 


GEORGE  III. 


[1819. 


1820.] 


THE   REGENCY. 


285 


London,  to  bring  about  the  seizure  of  London  Tower, 
then,  and  now,  used  as  a  storehouse  for  arms.  Other 
meetings  followed,  and  the  Government  on  its  part 
adopted  very  severe  measures  to  prevent  disturbances. 


alarmed,  the  magistrates  ordered  a  body  of  cavalry  to 
disperse  the  mob.  The  cavalry  charged  with  drawn 
sabres,  striking  right  and  left.  The  crowd  became 
panic-stricken,  and  a  terrible  scene  resulted.  How 
many  were  killed  and  wounded  will  never  be  known. 
The  meeting  was  held  on  St.  Peter's  Fields,  and  the 
massacre  is  known  as  the  "  Manchester  Massacre,"  or 
"  Peterloo." 

The  massacre,   however,   gave   new  strength  to    the 
ministry,  and  the  Six  Acts  were  passed,  placing 

Jl  lie  oIX 

almost  unlimited  power  to  deal  with  disturbance   Acts 
in  the  hands  of  the  Government.    A  few  months     '  '^  ' 
later,  in  the  beginning  of  1820,  King  George  IIL  died. 
Since  18 10  he  had  been  hopelessly  insane,  and  the  last 
few  years  he  had  become  blind  also.     His  son,    ^he 
the  Prince  of  Wales,  had  governed  for  him  as   J^|J?e"cy 
Prince  Regent ;  he  now  became  king  as  George    '820). 
IV.     The  Tory  ministry  which  had  followed  *'A11  the 
Talents  "  was  still  in  power,  though  Perceval  had  been 
murdered  by  a  lunatic  in   18 12.     Lord  Liverpool  suc- 
ceeded him,  and  remained  Prime  Minister  till  his  death, 
in   1827.     Canning  and  Castlereagh  had  quarrelled   in 
1809,  and  had  both  resigned.     In  181 2,  however,  Castle- 
reagh returned  to  office  as  Foreign  Secretary. 


GEORGE   in.   IN   OLD   AGE  :     FROM   TURNER'S   MEZZOTINT. 


The  most  famous  of  these  meetings  was  held  at  Man- 
chester in  1 8 19.  The  people  assembled  to  listen  to 
The  Man-  Mr.  "  Orator  "  Hunt,  a  popular  speaker.  The 
Massacre  authorities  of  the  town  ordered  the  officers  to 
(1819).  arrest  him  while  speaking.  Some  militiamen 
were  sent  to  help  the  officers.  The  crowd  was  so  great 
that  these  few  men  could  do  nothing.     Now  thoroughly 


a!<-^.;.i«a.VM.i..--'    ■bm.~Jtiiiaai«ifate-Jwaiil8ac.iiW.«fe-i»P^ 


284 


GEORGE   III. 


[1819. 


1820.] 


THE    REGENCY. 


285 


London,  to  bring  about  the  seizure  of  London  Tower, 
then,  and  now,  used  as  a  storehouse  for  arms.  Other 
meetings  followed,  and  the  Government  on  its  part 
adopted  very  severe  measures  to  prevent  disturbances. 


(lEuKut    iii.    IN    OLD   ACiK  :      IKOM    llRNKKb   .MtZZOTINI'. 

The  most  famous  of  these  meetings  was  held  at  Man- 
chester in  18 19.  The  people  assembled  to  listen  to 
The  Man-  Mr.  '*  Orator "  Huut,  a  popular  speaker.  The 
Massacre  authorities  of  the  town  ordered  the  officers  to 
(1S19).  arrest  him  while  speaking.  Some  militiamen 
were  sent  to  help  the  officers.  The  crowd  was  so  great 
that  these  few  men  could  do  nothing.     Now  thoroughly 


alarmed,  the  magistrates  ordered  a  bod\'  of  cavalry  to 
disperse  the  mob.  The  cavalry  charged  with  drawn 
sabres,  striking  right  and  left.  The  crowd  became 
panic-stricken,  and  a  terrible  scene  resulted.  How 
many  were  killed  and  wounded  will  never  be  known. 
The  meeting  was  held  on  St.  Peter's  Fields,  and  the 
massacre  is  known  as  the  "  Manchester  Massacre,"  or 
"  Peterloo." 

The   massacre,   however,   gave   new   strength  to    the 
ministry,  and  the  Six  Acts  were  passed,  placinc: 

•^  .  A  '  i  ^      Ilie  Six 

almost  unhmited  power  to  deal  with  disturbance    Acts 
in  the  hands  of  the  Government.    A  few  months     *'  "^  " 
later,  in  the  beginning  of  1820,   King  George  IIL  died 
Since  18 10  he  had  been  hopelessly  insane,  and  the  last 
few  years  he  had  become  blind  also.     His  son,    ij^g 
the  Prince  of  Wales,  had  c^overned  for  him  as    J^c-cncy 

^  (iSio- 

Prince  Regent ;  he  now  became  king  as  George  ^^-^)- 
IV.  The  Tory  ministry  which  had  followed  *'  All  the 
Talents  "  was  still  in  power,  though  Perceval  had  been 
murdered  by  a  lunatic  in  1812.  Lord  Liverpool  suc- 
ceeded him,  and  remained  Prime  Minister  till  his  death, 
in  1827.  Canning  and  Castlereagh  had  quarrelled  in 
1809,  and  had  both  resigned.  In  1812,  however,  Castle- 
reagh returned  to  office  as  P^oreign  Secretary. 


3J(}«tfUfj)pAriLv««.^4ttJk  W")^>i1ti.  ^-iiHI   .111  j!fttl1l»iiftBMWpniMIM-liTiiilftfgTlfriM-i«riinrtiiii^    nr  inn    in    im.  . 


PL.  'M  1,  I-  '  £''-s 


■^    f    '  aJr 


>A-fr  >fr-^frA^TJ] 


I 


286 


GEORGE   IV. 


1 1820. 


1828.] 


WELLINGTON-PEEL  MINISTRY. 


1 


CHAPTER   XXXV. 


GEORGE  IV. 


1820-1830. 

npHE  Prince  Regent,  now  become  king,  was  the  last 
A      of   the   "Four   Georges,"    and   the  worst.      He 
seems  to  have  had  no  redeeming  quality  either  as  man 
Queen        or  ruler.     His  first  effort  as  king  was  to  get  rid 
of  his  wife,  Caroline  of  Brunswick.     His  father 
had  compelled  him  to*  marry   her   as   a    condition  of 
paying  his  debts.     Queen  Caroline  was  by  no  means 
a  high-minded  woman,  but  George   IV.  was  so  detested 
that  popular  sympathy  was  on   her  side.      A  Bill   of 
Pains  and  Penalties  to  divorce  the  queen  and  to  deprive 
her  of  her  rights  was  introduced  into  Parliament,  but 
popular  feeling  was  too  strong,  and  the  plan  was  aban- 
doned.    Queen  Caroline  was  refused  her  proper  place 
at  the  coronation,  however,  and  died  of  a  broken  heart. 
In  1822  Lord  Castlereagh  died,  and  George  Canning 
again  became  Foreign  Secretary.    Castlereagh  had  sym- 
pathized with  the  despotic  attempts  of  the  European 
monarchs  to  revive  the  old  state  of  things  in  their  coim- 
tries,  and   to   resist  all   future  attempts  at  revolution. 
Canning  was  liberal,  and  at  once  England's  foreign  pol- 
icy underwent  a  complete  change.     He  could  not  effect 
much  on  the  continent  of  Europe,  as  there  the  military 
power  of  the  kings  was  supreme.     No  sooner  would  a 
revolution  break  out  in  one  state  than  all  the  neighboring 


287 


kings  would  send  their  armies  and  put  the  rising  down. 
In  1820-25  the  Spanish  American  colonists,  in  com- 
mon with  the  people  of  the  mother-country,  rebelled. 
The  rising  in  Spain  was  put  down  by  France.  It  was 
then  decided  to  send  over  an  army  to  crush  the  rebellion 
in  the  colonies.  But  the  English  fleet  was  supreme  on 
the  water.  Canning  declared  that  Spain  might  put  down 
the  rebels  if  she  were  able,  but  that  neither  France  nor 
any  other  power  should  help  her.  England  and  the 
United  States  then  joined  in  declaring  to  the  world  that 
the  repressive  systems  then  employed  in  the  Old  World 
should  not  be  extended  to  America.  This,  with  other 
declarations,  forms  what  is  called  the  "  Monroe  Doc- 
trine." Of  course  England  was  glad  to  see  Spanish 
America  free,  as  in  this  way  new  markets  would  be 
open  to  her  commerce ;  but,  as  far  as  Canning,  at  least, 
was  concerned,  a  love  of  freedom  was  probably  the 
leading  motive  for  the  action  of  the  English  Govern- 
ment. 

In   1827  Lord  Liverpool  died,  and  Canning  became 
Prime   Minister.      The    Conservative    members   of  the 
ministry,  Wellington,  Lord  Chancellor  Eldon, 
Robert  Peel,  and  some  others,  at  once  resigned.   ton-Peei 
They  and  their  adherents  then  attacked  Canning  fjsll-^ 
so  fiercely  that  he  was  unable  to  bear  the  strain,   '  ^°^' 
and  died.     For  a  few  months  his  friends  continued  in 
office,  and  then  the  Duke  of  Wellington  became  Prime 
Minister.     Robert  Peel,  however,  was  the  real  leader  in 
this  ministry,  which  lasted  till  1830. 

George  Canning  was  Prime  Minister  for  only  a  few 
months;  but  his  ministry  none  the  less  marks  the 
dow^nfall  of  the  repressive  system  forced  on  England 
by  the  excesses  of  the  French  Revolution.     From  1827 


^f#^^^^;^!!?^-:;-H^)^ff'l*^*^^  ' 


2SS 


GEORGE   IV. 


[1827. 


dates  the  period  of  social  and  constitutional  reform 
which  has  lasted  to  our  own  time.  Curiously  enough, 
two  of  the  greatest  reforms  of  this  whole  epoch  are 
associated  with  Wellington  and  Peel,  the  leaders  of  the 
conservative  Tories.     In  his  earlier  years  Peel  had  been 


CANNING  :     FROM   STEWARDSON'S   PORTRAIT. 

Secretary  for  Ireland.  He  had  introduced  the  con- 
stabulary, or  rural  police,  and  had  so  energetically  up- 
held the  rights  of  the  Protestants  as  to  earn  the  title  of 
•'  Orange  Peel."  There  was  in  Ireland  a  leader  called 
Daniel  O'Connell,  a  lawyer,  a  few  years  older  than  Peel. 
Under  his  guidance  was  formed  a  society  called  the 
Catholic  Association.  Before  long  the  Association  be- 
came in  some  parts  of  Ireland  more  powerful  than  the 


1829.] 


CATHOLIC  EMANCIPATION. 


289 


English  Government ;  and  at  a  time  when  the  Govern- 
ment could  not  collect  the  church  tax,  the  Association 
collected  what  was  called  the  Catholic  rent,  or  annual 
contribution  to  carry  on  the  agitation  for  Catholic  relief. 
Canning  favored  the  Catholic  claims,  and  carried  a  bill 
for  their  relief  through  the  House  of  Commons,  which 
was  thrown  out  by  the  Lords.  At  the  same  time  a 
law  was  passed  suppressing  the  Catholic  Association. 
O'Connell  obeyed  the  law,  while  carrying  on  the  organi- 
zation by  other  means. 

In  1828  O'Connell  discovered  a  new  way  of  showing 
the  Catholic  power.  In  Ireland  all  freeholders,  or 
leaseholders  for  a  long  term  of  years,  to  the  extent 
of  two  pounds,  or  forty  shillings,  could  vote  for 
Members  of  Parliament.     It  so  happened  that 

i_        1        ji        1        •  Catholic 

the  landlords  in  some  parts  of  Ireland  had  Emandpa- 
broken  up  their  estates  into  forty-shilling  *'  free- 
holds," to  increase  their  political  influence.  O'Connell 
now  took  advantage  of  this,  and  caused  himself  to  be 
elected  to  Parliament  for  County  Clare.  Of  course  he 
could  not  take  his  seat;  but  the  power  of  the  great 
agitator  was  apparent.  Thirty  thousand  Irish  peasants 
assembled  at  Ennis.  Not  a  disturbance  of  any  kind 
occurred,  and  the  only  drunken  man  in  the  place  was 
O'Connell's  coachman,  who  happened  to  be  an  English 
Protestant.  This  meeting  convinced  both  Wellington 
and  Peel  that  something  must  be  done;  and  in  1829 
the  Catholic  Relief  Act  was  passed.  By  it  Catholics 
might  sit  in  Parliament  on  taking  an  oath  to  support  the 
state  and  not  to  injure  the  Established  Church.  The  first 
Catholic  to  enter  Parliament  was  the  Duke  of  Norfolk, 
premier  peer  of  England,  whose  family  name  of  Howard 
recalls  the  defeat  of  the  Armada  and  so  much  that  is 

19 


4  ir^jgUr-      'bSlvff*^-'  -a>l    « 


2>^S 


c.eor(;e  IV. 


[1S27. 


dates  the  period  of  social  and  constitutional  reform 
which  has  histed  to  our  own  time.  Curiously  enough, 
two  of  the  greatest  reforms  of  this  whole  epoch  are 
associated  with  Wellington  and  Peel,  the  leaders  of  the 
conservative  Tories.     In  his  earlier  years  Teel  had  been 


CANNING  :     FROM   STEWARDSON's   PORTRAIT. 

Secretary  for  Ireland.  He  had  introduced  the  con- 
stabulary, or  rural  police,  and  had  so  energetically  up- 
held the  rights  of  the  Protestants  as  to  earn  the  title  of 
**  Orange  Peel."  There  was  in  Ireland  a  leader  called 
Daniel  O'Connell,  a  lawyer,  a  few  years  older  than  Peel. 
Under  his  guidance  was  formed  a  society  called  the 
Catholic  Association.  Before  long  the  Association  be- 
came in  some  parts  of  Ireland  more  powerful  than  the 


1S29.] 


CATHOLIC   EMANCIPATION. 


289 


English  Government;  and  at  a  time  when  the  Govern- 
ment could  not  collect  the  church  tax,  the  Association 
collected  what  was  chilled  the  Catholic  rent,  or  annual 
contribution  to  carry  on  the  agitation  for  Catholic  relief 
Canning  fav^ored  the  Catholic  claims,  and  carried  a  bill 
for  their  relief  through  the  Mouse  of  Commons,  which 
was  thrown  out  by  the  Lords.  At  the  same  time  a 
law  was  p^issed  suppressing  the  Catholic  Association. 
O'Connell  obeyed  the  law,  while  carrying  on  the  organi- 
zation by  other  means. 

In  1828  O'Connell  discovered  a  new  way  of  showing 
the  Catholic  power.  In  Ireland  all  freeholders,  or 
leaseholders  for  a  long  term  of  years,  to  the  extent 
of  two  pounds,  or  forty  shillings,  could  vote  for 
Members  of  Parliament.     It  so  hap])ened  that 

-  ,         ,  .  Catholic 

the  landlords  m  some  parts  of  Ireland  had  Kmancipa- 
broken  up  their  estates  into  forty-shilling  "  free- 
holds," to  increase  their  political  influence.  O'Connell 
now  took  advantage  of  this,  and  caused  himself  to  be 
elected  to  Parliament  for  County  Clare.  Of  course  he 
could  not  take  his  seat;  but  the  power  of  the  great 
agitator  was  apparent.  Thirty  thousand  Irish  peasants 
assembled  at  Knnis.  Not  a  disturbance  of  any  kind 
occurred,  and  the  only  drunken  man  in  the  place  was 
O'Conncll's  coachman,  who  happened  to  be  an  English 
Protestant.  This  meeting  convinced  both  Wellington 
and  Peel  that  something  must  be  done;  and  in  1829 
the  Catholic  Relief  Act  was  passed.  By  it  Catholics 
might  sit  in  Parliament  on  taking  an  oath  to  support  the 
state  and  not  to  injure  the  I^>stablished  Church.  The  first 
Catholic  to  enter  Parliament  was  the  Duke  of  Norfolk, 
premier  peer  of  luigland,  whose  family  name  of  Howard 
recalls  the  defeat  of  the  Armada  and  so  much  that  is 

19 


290 


GEORGE  IV. 


[1830. 


memorable  in  English  history.  Just  before  this  Act  was 
passed,  a  bill  for  the  relief  of  Protestant  Dissenters  had 
become  law,  so  that  now  all  Christian  subjects  of  the 
English  Crown  residing  in  the  United  Kingdom  enjoyed 
equal  civil  rights,  except  in  a  very  few  trifling  instances. 
At  the  same  time  the  Irish  franchise  was  raised  from 
forty  shillings,  or  two  pounds,  to  ten  pounds.  Thus  at 
the  very  time  the  Catholics  were  admitted  to  Parliament, 
the  right  to  vote  was  taken  away  from  the  great  mass 
of  Catholics  in  Ireland.  The  next  year  George  IV.  died, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  brother,  Duke  of  Clarence,  as 
William  IV. 


ROYAL   ARMS,    FROM    1816   TO    1837  :     THE   HANOVERIAN 
SCUTCHEON,   SURMOUNTED   BY   A   ROYAL  CROWN. 


1830.] 


CAUSES   OF  DISCONTENT. 


291 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 


WILLIAM   IV. 


new 


1830-1837. 

\  T /"ILLIAM  IV.  had  been  brought  up  in  the  navy. 
^  V  He  resembled  the  bold,  bluff  admiral  of  the 
olden  time.  People  called  him  the  Sailor  King,  and 
trusted  and  liked  him.  It  was  fortunate  that  he  was  a 
popular  man,  with  a  good  deal  of  common  sense,  xhe.. 
though  he  had  little  of  good  breeding.  Eng-  ^'^^^ 
land  was,  in  fact,  on  the  eve  of  a  great  revolution.  The 
movement  was  guided  wisely  and  well,  and  the  nation 
took  a  very  great  step  forward.  Had  an  attempt  been 
made  to  suppress  the  revolution,  no  one  knows  what 
might  have  happened. 

There  was  vast  discontent  and  misery.    Manufacturing 
towns  had  doubled  and  trebled  in  population  in  fifteen 
years,  yet  nothing  was  done  to  help  the  people 
who    increased   England's   material   prosperity,   ofdis- 
Parliament  was  in  the  hands  of  landowners,  who   ^''"'^''*- 
seemed  to  think  that  the  factory  hands  might  starve,  pro- 
vided the  price  of  English-grown  grain  were  maintained. 
It  was  felt  that  the  merchants  and  manufacturers  should 
be  more  fully  represented  in  Parliament,  and  there  fight 
for   the  good    of  their  working-people    and   of  them- 
selves.    The  condition  of  the  representation  in  Parlia- 
ment was,  to  an  American,  almost  incredible.     A  large 
and  prosperous  town  like  Birmingham  sent  no  member 


292 


WILLIAM    IV. 


[1830 


1832.] 


THE  GREY  MINISTRY. 


293 


t 


to  the  House  of  Commons,  while  a  ruined  mound  of 
earth  showing  where  Old  Sarum  once  stood,  but  now 
without  a  single  human  inhabitant,  sent  two  members. 
These  were  the  two  extremes.  But  places  whose  in- 
habitants could  be  counted  on  one's  fingers  sent  two 


OLD  SARUM  :    FROM  AN  ENGRAVING  PUBLISHED  IN  1S43,    SHOWING 
MOUND,      (it    is   NOW   OBSCURED   BY   TREES   FROM 
THIS  POINT  OF  VIEW.) 

members  apiece,  while  great  centres  of  commercial  and 
manufacturing  life  were  not  represented  at  all.  Then, 
again,  in  towns  where  many  substantial  people  lived, 
only  a  very  few  could  vote.  In  other  places  all  the 
voters  were  tenants  of  some  great  landowner,  and  must 
vote  as  he  directed,  or  be  turned  out  of  their  farms. 
These  last  boroughs  were  called  ''  pocket  boroughs," 
and  some  great  noblemen  possessed  several  of  them. 
So  it  came  to  pass  that  a  majority  of  the  House  of 
Commons   was   returned    by   a   few   hundred    persons, 


mostly  landowners ;  and  many  of  them  were  members 
of  the  House  of  Lords.  And  this  was  not  all;  the  right 
to  sit  in  Parliament  was  a  great  honor,  and  many  a  rich 
man  was  willing  to  pay  a  large  sum  of  money  to  a 
borough  which  would  return  him  to  Parliament.  Some 
boroughs  habitually  sold  the  right  to  represent  them. 
The  nation,  awaking  to  the  fact  that  the  House  of 
Commons  no  longer  represented  England,  was  begin- 
ning to  demand  a  change.  While  public  feeling  was 
in  this  state,  the  Duke  of  Wellington  made  a  speech  to 
the  effect  that  the  P^nglish  constitution  was  perfection 
itself,  and  should  not  be  changed  at  all.  He  was  obliged 
to  resign,  and  the  Whigs,  after  nearly  fifty  years'  exclu- 
sion from  office,  took  control  of  the  government. 

Earl  Grey  was  the  new  Prime  Minister.  For  nearly 
half  a  century  he  had  advocated  reform,  and  now  at 
last,  at  the  very  end  of  his  life,  he  was  to  bring  The  Grey 
it  about.  The  new  Lord  Chancellor  was  Henry  ™"'^try. 
Brougham,  who  was  even  more  radical  in  his  views  than 
Earl  Grey.  The  leader  of  the  House  of  Commons  was 
Lord  Althorp,  eldest  son  of  Earl  Spencer.  He  was  no 
speaker,  but  was  so  honest  and  upright  that  men  of  all 
parties  respected  and  trusted  him.  To  Lord  John  Rus- 
sell, a  younger  son  of  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  who  held 
at  the  time  a  minor  office,  was  given  the  task  of  bring- 
ing in  the  reform  bill.  Lord  John  Russell  proposed 
to  disfranchise  the  smaller  boroughs,  giving  the  seats 
thus  gained  to  the  larger  towns  and  to  the  counties. 
He  also  proposed  to  make  the  voting  qualification 
more  uniform.  When  the  names  of  the  boroughs  to 
be  disfranchised  were  read,  the  members  of  those 
boroughs  broke  forth  into  shouts  of  loud  laughter. 
Lord  John  Russell  was  supported  by  Mr.  Thomas  Bab- 


^iifi>iii'iigwriiTniimij|»i 


29- 


WILLIAM     IV. 


[fS;,o 


to  the  f  louse  of  Commons,  while  a  ruined  mound  of 
earth  showini;  where  Old  Sarum  unee  stood,  but  now 
without  a  siiiL^le  human  inhabitant,  sent  two  members. 
I  hese  were  the  two  extreme.^.  Hut  [)l.ices  whose  in- 
habitcUits   could   be   counted   on   one's   rm<j"ers   sent   two 


<»Li). SARUM:    iRoM   \\  i:\(  ;u  w  I  \( ;  i  ri:i.i>iii:i)  in  iSj^,  sii(»\vin(; 

MUlND.      (n     rs    NitW    ()i;S(  IKI  I)    i:V     IKIKS    KKoM 

rius  riUNi  OF  \  n:\v.) 

members  aj)iecc,  while  i;reat  centre>  of  commercial  and 
manufacturincj  life  were  not  represented  at  all.  Then, 
ai^ain,  in  towns  where  many  substantial  people  li\ed, 
only  a  very  few  could  \'ote.  In  other  places  all  the 
voters  were  tenants  of  some  i^reat  landmvner,  and  must 
vote  as  he  directed,  or  be  turned  out  of  their  farms. 
These  last  boroui^jhs  were  called  "pocket  boroui^hs," 
and  s<imc  c^rcat  noblemen  possessed  several  of  them. 
So  it  came  to  pass  that  a  majoritx'  of  the  House  of 
Commons    was    returned    by    a    few    hundred    pcr.'^^ons, 


liieTiriKfciriK-^'iiiitl 


IS32.I 


THE   CiREV    MINISTRY. 


293 


mostly  landowners ;  and  many  of  them  were  members 
of  the  House  of  Lords.  And  this  was  not  all ;  the  rii,dit 
to  sit  in  Parliament  was  a  great  honor,  and  man\'  a  rich 
man  was  willini;-  to  pay  a  lari^e  sum  of  money  to  a 
borouLfh  which  would  return  him  to  Parliament.  Some 
borouL;-hs  habitually  sold  the  ri^ht  to  represent  them. 
The  nation,  awakini;-  to  the  fact  that  the  House  of 
Commons  no  Ioniser  represented  England,  was  begin- 
ning to  demand  a  change.  While  public  feeling  was 
in  this  state,  the  Duke  of  Wellington  made  a  speech  to 
the  effect  that  the  hhiglish  constitution  was  perfection 
itself,  and  should  not  be  changed  at  all.  1  le  was  obliged 
to  resign,  and  the  Whigs,  after  nearly  fifty  years'  exclu- 
sion from  office,  took  control  of  the  government. 

h:arl  (irey  was  the  new  Prime  Minister.  For  nearly 
half  a  century  he  had  advocated  reform,  and  now  at 
last,  at  the  \'er\'  end  of  his  life,  he  was  to  bring  TiieCiey 
it  about.  The  new  Lord  Chancellor  was  Henry  """'-^^'^ 
Hrousjham,  who  was  even  more  radical  in  his  views  than 
p:arl  Grey.  The  leader  of  the  House  of  Commons  was 
Lord  Althorp,  eldest  son  of  P>arl  Spencer.  He  was  no 
speaker,  but  was  so  honest  and  upright  that  men  of  all 
parties  respected  and  trusted  him.  To  Lord  John  Rus- 
sell, a  vouuLrer  son  of  the  Duke  of  Hedford,  who  held 
at  the  time  a  mincu"  office,  was  given  the  task  of  bring- 
in*'  in  the  reform  bill.  Lord  John  Russell  proposed 
to  disfranchise  the  smaller  boroughs,  giving  the  seats 
thus  gained  to  the  larger  towns  and  to  the  counties. 
He  also  proposed  to  make  the  voting  cpialification 
more  uniform.  When  the  names  of  the  boroughs  to 
be  disfranchised  were  read,  the  members  of  those 
boroughs  broke  forth  into  shouts  of  loud  laughter. 
Lord  John  Russell  was  supported  b\'  Mv.  Thomas  Bab- 


«...*_    ■i-'-   ^-i-fcig^^'-j--*.  -  In-  i*^''-'*-''^-'-^i*^'i^ttTM.i:vTiKt^'^<jp'^''fft'w£.f-^-r*,»^^ 


294 


WILLIAM   IV. 


[1832. 


1833.] 


THE   FACTORY  ACT. 


295 


ington  Macaulay  (afterwards  Lord  Macaulay)  and  Mr. 
Stanley  (afterwards  Lord  Stanley,  and,  still  later.  Earl 
Derby).  Mr.  Macaulay's  speeches  best  show  in  many 
respects  the  arguments  for  reform.  The  Government 
was  soon  defeated  on  a  minor  point,  and  Parlia- 
ment was  dissolved.  The  new  election  was  marked 
by  much  rioting  and  disorder.  It  resulted  in  a  great 
majority  for  the  reformers.  Led  by  Sir  Robert  Peel, 
the  Opposition  opposed  the  second  reform  bill  by  all 
means  within  its  power.  It  finally  passed  the  Commons 
by  a  great  majority.  But  the  Lords  were  so  hostile  to 
reform  that,  foreseeing  the  defeat  of  the  bill,  Earl  Grey 
resigned.  The  Duke  of  Wellington  and  Sir  Robert  Peel 
then  tried  to  form  a  ministry.  But  they  could  not  hope 
to  face  the  great  reform  majority  in  the  Commons,  and 
Earl  Grey  returned  to  office,  but  only  on  one  condition ; 
namely,  that  the  king  should  create  enough  peers  to 
turn  the  hostile  majority  in  the  House  of  Lords  into  a 
majority  fav^orable  to  the  measure.  This  was  not  neces- 
sary, however;  for  when  the  Duke  of  Wellington  became 
convinced  of  the  earnestness  of  the  kinsr,  he  and  enougrh 
other  hostile  peers  left  the  House,  and  allowed  the  third 
reform  bill,  which  had  meantime  been  passed  by  the 
Commons,  to  pass  the  Lords  also. 

In  this  way  the  Reform  Act  of  1832  —  the  First 
Reform  Act  —  became  law.  The  Revolution  of  1688 
had  transferred  power  from  the  Crown  to  the 
aristocracy.  The  Reform  Act  of  1832  trans- 
ferred power  from  the  aristocracy  to  the  middle 
class,  as  it  is  called  in  England,  consisting 
mainly  of  merchants  and  manufacturers.  It  was,  there- 
fore, the  first  step  in  the  process  which  has  changed 
aristocratic  England  of  i8cx)  to  the  democratic  England 


The 

First 

Reform 

Act 
(1832). 


of  to-day.  The  House  of  Lords  still  remains,  but  it  was 
shorn  of  all  its  real  power  when  it  became  clear  that 
the  king  and  ministry  could  at  any  moment  control  it 
by  creating  a  sufficient  number  of  new  peers  to  form, 
in  connection  with  the  minority,  a  new  majority. 

In  1833  the  first  Reformed  Parliament  met,  and  for 
the  next  few  years  reform  after  reform  was  accom- 
plished. For  centuries  there  had  been  no  system  of 
slavery  in  Great  Britain.  Slavery  in  its  harshest  forms 
still  continued  in  some  of  the  colonies;  but  up  to  1833 
the  capitalists  interested  in  its  maintenance  had  pre- 
vented abolition.  This  was  now  decreed;  but  ^^^^^^-^ 
the  emancipation  was  to   extend    over   several   pationof 

^  slaves. 

years,  and  the  Government  agreed  to  pay  the 
slave-owners  nearly  one  hundred  million  dollars  as  com- 
pensation. Sir  Fowell  Buxton  carried  the  final  measure 
through  the  Commons,  the  chief  English  abolitionists 
having  been  Thomas  Clarkson  and  William  Wilberforce. 
The  latter  died  just  before  the  bill  abolishing  slavery 
became  law,  though  not  before  the  success  of  his  life- 
work  was  assured. 

While  doing  so  much  for  the  laborers  in  the  colonies, 
Parliament  could  hardly  refuse  to  do  something  for  the 
laborers  at  home.  In  fact,  the  condition  of  an  English 
factory  operative  was  scarcely  better  than  that  of  a 
West  India  slave.  In  1833  a  Factory  Act  was  The  Fac- 
passed,  mainly  through  the  persistent  efforts  tory  Act. 
of  Lord  Ashley.  After  this  no  woman  could  legally  be 
employed  in  a  factory  more  than  twelve  hours  a  day ; 
no  person  under  eighteen  years  of  age  more  than  twelve 
hours ;  no  person  under  thirteen  more  than  eight  hours ; 
and  very  young  children  could  not  be  employed  at  all. 
In  1847  the  hours  of  all  persons  under  eighteen  were 
still  further  reduced  to  ten  hours. 


i  MM».'3tariiSg  jriaVeafc 


296 


WILLIAM   IV. 


[1837. 


1837.J 


VICTORIA. 


297 


The  Poor  Laws  passed  towards  the  end  of  Queen 
Elizabeth's  reign  were  still  in  force.  Great  abuses  had 
grown  up,  till  the  honest,  hardworking  laborer  was  un- 
Reform  able  to  Compete  with  his  pauper  neighbor  who 
Poor^Law  received  a  small  allowance  per  week  from  the 
(»834)-  parish  in  addition  to  his  wages.  This  was 
called  out-door  relief.  Of  course  it  is  easy  enough  to 
see  that  the  man  who  received  this  out-door  relief  could 
work  for  lower  wages  than  the  man  who  depended  on 
his  wages  alone.  Yet  such  was  the  condition  of  affairs 
in  the  agricultural  districts.  This  was  now  changed, 
and  in  the  future  any  one  applying  for  aid  must  go  to 
the  workhouse  and  there  work.  The  discontinuance  of 
out-door  relief  caused  great  hardship  for  a  time,  but  in 
the  end  the  honest  laborer  has  been  greatly  benefited. 
A  few  years  later  the  same  system  was  extended  to 
Ireland,  and,  as  the  condition  of  things  there  was  dif- 
ferent, it  caused  considerable  suffering. 

In  1834  the  king,  without  any  valid  reason,  dismissed 
Lord  Melbourne,  who  had  taken  Earl  Grey's  place  at 
the  head  of  the  Reform  Ministry;  and  Sir  Robert  Peel, 
Peel-  with  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  tried  to  form  a 
t^n"'"^"  ministry.  In  this  ministry  Mr.  Gladstone  first 
08"34-^  appears.  A  general  election  was  held  in  1835, 
and  Peel  issued  a  sort  of  party  platform.      It 


1835)- 


was  called  the  Tamworth  Manifesto,  because  it  was 
addressed  to  the  electors  of  Tamworth,  which  place 
Second  ^^^^  represented  in  Parliament.  In  this,  he 
Melbourne  accepted  the  Reform  Act  as  passed.     But  the 

minrstry  ^  *^ 

(1835-       Liberals  were  nevertheless  successful,  and  Lord 

1841).  i»/r    11  •        1 

Melbourne  again  became  Prime  Minister.  In 
1837  William  IV.  died,  and  his  niece  Victoria  became 
Queen. 


CHAPTER   XXXVII. 


VICTORIA. 


QUEEN  VICTORIA  was  a  young  woman  of  eighteen 
when  she  became  queen,  in  1837.  She  had  been 
carefully  brought  up  by  her  mother,  and  soon  won  the 
hearts  of  Englishmen  by  her  dignity  and  good  sense. 
In  1840  she  married  Albert  of  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. 
But  he  was  never  crowned  as  king  consort,  and  was 
called  simply  the  ''  Prince  Consort "  to  his  death.  Lord 
Melbourne  continued  Prime  Minister,  and  for  a  time 
the  change  of  sovereigns  made  little  or  no  difference  in 
England's  policy.  In  fact,  affairs  were  now  in  a  satis- 
factory condition  in  Great  Britain.  But  in  Ireland, 
Canada,  and  Jamaica  a  spirit  of  resistance  to  the 
Government  was  the  rule. 

The  Melbourne  Government  seems  to  have  tried  to 
govern  Ireland  fairly.  Indeed,  this  was  necessarily  so, 
as  it  was  obliged  to  rely  on  the  votes  of  the  Irish  mem- 
bers of  the  House  of  Commons.  An  under-officer  of 
the  Government  even  went  so  far  as  to  tell  a  delegation 
of  Irish  landlords  that  ''  property  has  its  duties  as  well 
as  its  rights," — a  proposition  which  quite  astonished 
the  Irish  landowners.  But  the  landlords  were  so  strong 
in  the  House  of  Peers  that  the  ministry  was  able  to  do 
very  little  for  the  Irish. 

In  Canada  there  was  open  rebellion.  The  French 
and  English  colonists  did  not  get  on  well  together,  and 


298 


QUEEN    VICTORIA. 


[1837. 


1840.] 


CANADA  ACT. 


299 


QUEEN    VICTORIA,  AT   HER   ACCESSION  :    ENGRAVED   BY  THOMPSON 

AFFER    A    PORTRAIT   BY    LANE. 


the    English    settlers    themselves    did    not    like    being 
governed  by  England.     The  Canadian  Constitu-  Canada 
Tion  was  suspended,  and  Lord  Durham  was  sent    ''^'  '^°^- 
over  as  High  Commissioner,  or  dictator,  as  he  might 
well  have  been  styled.     He  acted  so  despotically  that 
popular  feeling  was  strongly  against  him,  and  he  was 
obliged  to  return  home.     In  the  end  Parliament  passed 
an  Act  uniting  the  two  Canadas,  and  giving  the  colonists 
control  of  their  local  affairs.     In   1867  a  confederation 
of  all  the  British  North  American  colonies  was  set  on 
foot.      The    new  constitution   resembles   in  some   par- 
ticulars that  of  England,  and,  in  more  particulars,  that 
of  the  United  States.     Canada  now  has  almost  complete 
control  of  its  own  internal  affairs,  though  the  direction 
of    diplomatic    relations    is    retained    by    England.     It 
should  be  remembered,  however,  that  Parliament  still 
has  the  substantial  control  of  Canada  in  its  own  hands, 
and  by  merely  passing  an  Act  can  any  day  alter  this 
whole   arrangement.     AH  the  British  North  American 
colonies,   save     Newfoundland,     now    belong    to    this 

confederation. 

The  trouble  in  Jamaica  grew  out  of  the  scheme  for 
gradual  emancipation.  While  the  planters  owned  their 
slaves  it  was  in  general  good  policy  to  treat  their 
dependents  fairly  well,  and  thus  prolong  the  period 
of  their  usefulness.  Now,  however,  when  the  planter 
would  lose  his  slaves'  services  at  the  end  of  a  few  years, 
he  was  naturally  tempted  to  get  as  much  work  out  of 
them  as  he  could  while  they  were  yet  his.  The  Jamaica 
planters  in  particular  treated  their  slaves  with  great 
harshness.  The  English  Government  acted  somewhat 
hastily  in  the  matter,  and  these  planters  refused  to  pass 
any  laws  in  their  colonial  assembly  till  their  demands 


2CjS 


(JL  KKN    VICTORIA. 


[1S37. 


•jf? 


^ 


K^ 


Y 


■sfil^S'^'^■ 


/ 


®i 


QUEEN    VICTOUFA,   M'    HI.K    ACCKSSrc  )N  :    ENGKAVED    l:V    IIIoMl'SON 

Ai  lEK  A  i'okruAn   i:y  lane. 


1S4O.J 


CANADA   ACT. 


299 


the    Kn-lish    settlers    themselves    did    not    Hke    bein- 
-cverned  by  lui-hiud.     The  CiiiKidian  Constitu-  Canada 
Tion  was  suspended,  and  Lord  Durham  was  sent "  ^^^'^^^  " 
over  as    Hii,di   Commissioner,   or  dictator,  as   he   mi-ht 
well  have  been  styled.      He  acted  so  despoticallx'  that 
popular  feelin-  was  stron-ly  a-ainst  him,  and   he  was 
obli-ed  to  return  home.      In  the  end  Parliament  i)assed 
an  Act  unitino-  the  two  Canadas,  and  givin-  the  colonists 
control  of  their  local  affairs.     In    1867  a  confederation 
of  all  the  Hritish  North  American  colonies  was  set  on 
foot.       The    new   constitution    resembles    in    some    par- 
ticulars that  of  I'.n-iand,  and,  in  more  particulars,  that 
of  the  United  States.     Canada  now  has  almost  complete 
control  of  its  own   internal  affairs,  though  the  direction 
of    diplomatic    relations    is    retained    by    lui-land.      It 
should   be  remembered,  however,   that  Parliament  still 
has  the  substantial  control  of  Canada  in  its  own  hands, 
and  by  mereh'  passini^^  an  Act  can   any  day  alter  this 
whole   arran«4ement.     All   the    British  North  American 
colonies,    save      Newfoundland,      now     belon-    to    this 

confederation. 

The  trouble  in  Jamaica  -re\v  out  of  the  scheme  for 
-radual  emancipation.  While  the  planters  owned  their 
slaves  it  was  in  general  o()od  policy  to  treat  their 
dependents  fairly  well,  and  thus  prolon-  the  period 
of  their  usefulness.  Now,  however,  when  the  planter 
would  lose  his  slaves'  services  at  the  end  of  a  few  \'ears, 
he  was  naturallx'  tempted  to  i^et  as  much  work  out  of 
them  as  he  could  while  they  were  yet  his.  The  Jamaica 
planters  in  particular  treated  their  slaves  with  -reat 
harshness.  The  luv^dish  Government  acted  somewhat 
hastily  in  the  matter,  and  these  planters  refused  to  pass 
any  laws   in  their   colonial  assembly  till  their  demands 


300 


VICTORIA. 


[1841. 


1841.] 


SIR   ROBERT   PEEL'S   MINISTRY. 


301 


The  Bed- 
chamber 
question 


should  be  complied  with.  A  bill  to  compel  the  Jamaica 
colonists  to  submission  was  introduced  into  the  Com- 
mons. The  Opposition  saw  the  opportunity,  and  de- 
feated the  Government,  upon  which  the  Melbourne 
ministry  resigned. 

Sir  Robert  Peel  and  the  Duke  of  Wellington  now 
formed  a  ministry.  It  so  happened  that  the  ladies  in 
attendance  upon  the  queen  were  the  wives, 
sisters,  daughters,  aunts,  cousins,  or  friends  of 
the  Melbourne  ministers.  The  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington said  that,  as  he  had  no  small-talk,  and  Peel  had 
no  manners,  it  was  necessary  to  have  some  ladies  about 
the  queen  to  explain  the  plans  of  the  Government.  Sir 
Robert  Peel  accordingly  wrote  to  her  that  it  would  be 
necessary  to  change  some  of  the  chief  ladies  of  her 
household.  The  queen,  alarmed  at  the  prospect  of 
having  to  surround  herself  with  strangers,  refused,  and 
the  Melbourne  ministry  returned.  But  they  had  a 
majority  no  larger  than  before,  and  were  sneered  at 
as  *'  hiding  behind  the  ladies-in-waiting."  However, 
they  struggled  on  till  1841,  when  there  was  a  general 
election.  Lord  Melbourne  proposed  to  reform  some 
of  the  trade  laws.  He  was  opposed  by  Peel  on  this 
issue,  and,  when  Parliament  met.  Peel  had  the  majority 
and  became  Prime  Minister. 

Two  great  questions  occupied  Sir  Robert  Peel's  atten- 
tion during  his  administration.  The  first  was  the  ever- 
Sir  Robert  P^^scut  troublc  in  Ireland,  which  will  be  best 
Peel's        considered   later.      The  second   was   the   over- 

ministry 

(1841-       turning   of  England's    long-cherished   financial 
1 046).  I .  -j-^     .  . 

policy.       Durmg    the    wars    with    France    the 

manufacturing  industry  in  England  had  received  a  great 

impetus,  which  carried   it  safely  over  the   dull   period 


after  Waterloo.     The  opening  of  the  ports  of  South  and 
Central    America  gave  England's    commerce   new  life. 
It  now  became  evident  to  several  men  skilled  in  think- 
ing on  such  subjects  that,  however  it  might  be  with 
other  nations,  the  protective  system  was  no  longer  suited 
to  England.     Mr.  Huskisson  was  the  leader  of  this  new 
school,  and  he  set  on  foot  a  revolution  in   England's 
commercial  policy.     As  a  member  of  Canning's  minis- 
try he  opened  the  British  ports  to  ships  of  such  coun- 
tries as  would  open  their  ports  to  British  vessels.     He 
also  lowered  the  duty  on  several  raw  materials,—  wool 
and  silk,  for  instance ;  and  this  made  it  easier  for  British 
manufacturers  to  compete  with  those  of  other  countries. 
It  was  impossible  to  repeal  the  duty  on  breadstuffs,  but 
a  scheme  was   proposed  by  which  they  might  be  im- 
ported  when   the    price    was    high    in   England.      The 
Duke  of  Wellington,  however,  would  not  hear  of  such 
legislation,   and   it  accordingly   fell  through.      But  not 
long  afterwards  the   Duke   of  Wellington  himself  was 
obliged  to  carry  through  just  such  a  law,  and  this  was 
in  force  in  1841.     Sir  Robert  Peel  had  won,  in  the  elec- 
tion of  1 84 1,  as  the  leader  of  the  Protectionists.     But 
he  himself  was  in  no  sense  a  Protectionist.     His  mind 
worked  slowly,  and  he  had   a  habit  of  waiting  to   see 
which    way    the  country   was    going    before    he    fully 
decided  on   his  course.     Before  long  he  became  con- 
vinced that  if  England  was  to  become  a  great  manu- 
facturing country,  the   tariff  must   be  revised,  and  as 
many  articles  as  possible   added  to  the  free  list.     In 
five  years  the  duties  on  raw  materials  used  in  the  arts 
were  either  entirely  repealed  or  greatly  reduced.     The 
most  notable  instance,  perhaps,  was  the  abolition  of  the 
duty  on  cotton,— a  product  almost  entirely  imported 


302 


VICTORIA. 


[1845 


1845.] 


PEEL  AND   DISRAELI. 


303 


:--! 


from  America.  This  duty  amounted  to  680,000  pounds 
sterling,  or  over  three  miUions  of  dollars.  A  great 
The  In-  deficit  was  thus  created  in  the  revenue;  but 
come  fax.  ^j^jg  ^^g  made  good  by  a  tax  on  incomes  of 
so  many  pence  in  the  pound. 

While  Peel  was  thus  reducing  the  taxes  on  the  manu- 
facturers* supplies,  the  manufacturers  themselves  were 
^^    ^  ^.    agitating  for  a  repeal  of  the  taxes  on  breadstuffs. 

The  Anti-       ^  '^  ^         *  i 

Corn-Law  The  leaders  in  this  agitation  were  Richard  Cob- 
den  and  John  Bright.     John  Bright  was  one  of 
the  greatest  orators  of  the  time,  and  Richard  Cobden 
had  a  remarkable  power  of  explaining  intricate  details  of 
trade  to  popular  audiences ;   so  that  together  they  exer- 
cised an  irresistible  influence.    A  great  association,  called 
the  Anti-Corn-Law  League,  was  established.    Pamphlets 
were  distributed  broadcast,  and  Bright  and  Cobden,  trav- 
elling from  one  end  of  the  country  to  the  other,  soon 
aroused  a  tremendous  interest  in  the  subject  of  free  trade 
in  grain.    The  working-people  deserted  their  usual  lead- 
ers, and  money  poured  in  from  all  sides  to  aid  the  new 
crusade.     This  demonstration  was  the  one  thing  needed 
to  hasten    Peel's  mental  processes.      The  argument  of 
the  agitators  was  something  like  this.    English  manufac- 
turers possessed  cheaper  coal  and  iron  than  any  other 
manufacturers.     Under  the  new  laws  other  raw  materials 
would   be   as   cheap   to  them   as  to   their  competitors. 
One  thing  alone  was  dear,  and  that  was  labor.     Labor 
was  dear  because  the  workers  must  have  good  wages 
wherewith  to  buy  the  high-priced  English-grown  grain, 
or  starve.      Now,   if  they  could  be  permitted   to  buy 
cheap  grain, —  imported  from  America,  for  example, — 
they  would  be  equally  well  off  with  much  lower  wages. 
Finally,   if  the   English   manufacturer  could  get  labor 


at  a  low  rate,  he  could  undersell  all  his  rivals,  manu- 
facture for  the  world,  and  give  steady  work  to  all. 
Therefore  the  Corn  Laws  should  be  repealed.  It  so 
happened  that  at  the  precise  moment  when  Peel,  under 
the  pressure  of  the  Anti-Corn-Law  League,  was  coming 
to  this  conclusion,  an  event  occurred  which  made  at 
least  a  temporary  suspension  of  those  laws  a  necessity. 
This  event  was  the  famine  in  Ireland. 

The  people  of  Ireland  lived  principally  on  potatoes. 
Grain  was  grown  in  Ireland,  but  it  was  sold  to  England, 
and  the  proceeds  were  used  to  pay  the  rent  due    The  Irish 
from    the    farmers  to    their    landlords;    almost    (^g^^! 
none  of  it  was  consumed  by  the  Irish  people.    ^^+9)- 
They  lived  on  potatoes,  and  they  did  this  because  that 
was    the    cheapest    food.      In    1844-45   a    disease,    or 
blight,    called    the    potato    rot,    swept    over    western 
Europe.     In  England  and  Scotland  it  did  not  matter 
so  very  much,  but  in  Ireland  in  a  few  months  the  food 
supply  of  millions  of  men,  women,   and   children  was 
destroyed.      It  was  now    absolutely    necessary,    if  the 
Irish,  and  even  the  English,  poor  were  to  live,  that  the 
Corn  Laws  should  be  at  least  suspended.    Peel  saw  that 
if  they  were  once  suspended  they  could  never  be  re-im- 
posed, and  he  therefore  proposed  their  total  repeal. 

Now  Peel's  supporters  were  mainly  landowners ;  and 
to  many  of  them  his  conduct  seemed  simply  treason- 
able. Among  the  younger  men  of  the  Conservative 
party  was  Benjamin  Disraeli.  He  had  begun  life  as  an 
extreme  Liberal,  or  Radical ;  but  now  he  was  a  Conser- 
vative of  an  extreme  type.  Up  to  1845  his  career  as  a 
politician  had  not  been  remarkable,  but  he  now  saw 
that  his  opportunity  had  come.  Placing  himself  at  the 
head  of  the  discontented  landowners  and  other  believ- 


304 


VICTORIA. 


[1845. 


ers  in  *'  protection,"  he  attacked  Sir  Robert  in  Parlia- 
ment with  all  the  venom  and  energy  of  a  venomous  and 
energetic  nature.  He  called  the  Government  *'  an 
organized  hypocrisy,"  and  clamored  for  *'  vengeance  on 


SIR    ROBERT    I'EEL  ;     FROM  THE    BUST    BY   NOBLE   IN   THE 
NATIONAL   PORTRAIT   GALLERY. 

the  betrayer."  Another  convert  to  the  Conservative 
party  was  Lord  Stanley,  who,  as  a  Liberal,  had  been 
one  of  the  Reform  ministry.  In  the  earlier  days  of 
Peel's  own  ministry  Lord  Stanley  had  sat  in  the  cabinet. 
He  now  found  himself  leading  the  attack  on  Peel's 
policy  in  the  House  of  Lords.  Disraeli's  vengeance 
was  not  long  delayed.  Among  other  measures.  Peel 
had  brought  forward  a  Coercion  Rill  for  Ireland.     The 


1849] 


LORD  JOHN   RUSSELL'S   MINISTRY. 


30s 


Protectionists  and  Liberals  joined  hands,  and,  on  the 
very  day  when  the  bill  to  repeal  the  Corn  Laws  passed 
the  House  of  Peers,  Peel  resigned. 

Sir  Robert  Peel  never  again  held  office.  But  during 
the  remainder  of  his  life  he  helped  Lord  John  Russell 
and  the  Liberals  carry  out  the  policy  he  had  begun. 
As  a  political  leader  and  financier,  no  modern  English- 
man stands  higher  than  he.  He  had  also  the  highest 
element  of  true  statesmanship,— the  ability  to  sub- 
ordinate one's  former  convictions  to  the  necessities  of 
the  time.  Peel  left  behind  him  a  devoted  band  of  dis- 
ciples,—the  Peelites,  as  they  were  called.  The  most 
notable  of  them  was  William  Ewart  Gladstone,  who, 
even  at  that  time,  had  a  seat  in  the  cabinet. 

The  famine  in  Ireland  continued  till  1849.  In  1847 
"soup  kitchens"  were  opened  in  the  worst  districts, 
and  English  writers  claim  that  after  their  establishment 
no  one  died  from  actual  starvation.  But  with  Lord  John 
the  famine  came  a  dreadful  fever ;   and  diseases  Russell's 

ministry 

not  always  fatal  now  invariably  resulted  m  (1846- 
death.  ''The  people,"  to  use  the  words  of  ' '^^' 
Mr.  Stuart  Trench,  *'  died  on  the  roads,  and  they  died 
in  the  fields;  they  died  on  the  mountains,  and  they 
died  in  the  glens ;  they  died  at  the  relief  works,  and 
they  died  in  their  houses, —  so  that  little  streets  or  villages 
were  left  almost  without  an  inhabitant ;  and  at  last  some 
few,  despairing  of  help  in  the  country,  crawled  into  the 
towns,  and  died  at  the  doors  of  residents."  How  many 
died  from  the  famine  will  never  be  known.  The  popu- 
lation of  Ireland  in  1841  was  over  eight  millions.  In 
1 85 1  it  was  but  six  and  one  half  millions,  —  over  one 
and  a  half  million  less.  As  a  great  many  children  must 
have  been  born  in  the  intervening  years,  more  than  one 

20 


304 


VK  TOKIA. 


[1 84: 


crs  in  *' protection^  he  attacked  Sir  Robert  \n  Parlia- 
nient  with  all  the  venom  and  ener^x'  of  a  venomous  and 
cneri^etic  nature.  Me  called  the  Government  "  an 
ori;anized   h>'pocrisy,"  and  clamored  for  "vengeance  on 


SIR    K(»I;KKI     I'I.KI,  ;     IKoM    TIIF.    lUSI     l:V    M)i;i.K    IN    UIK 
NATIONAL    I'nRTRAIl     (i.\  l.r.l.RV. 

the  betrayer."  Another  convert  to  the  Conservative 
party  was  T.ord  Stanley,  wlio.  as  a  Liberal,  had  been 
one  of  the  Reform  ministr\'.  In  the  earlier  davs  of 
Peel's  own  ministrx-  Lord  Stanley  had  sat  in  the  cabinet. 
Ife  now  found  himself  leadini,^  the  attack  on  Peel's 
policy  in  the  House  of  Lords.  Disraeli's  vencrcancc 
was  not  louL^-  dela\-etl.  Amoni^  other  measures,  Peel 
had  brought  forward  a  Coercion  Bill  for  Ireland.     The 


1849] 


LORD   JOHN    RUSSELL'S    MINISTRY. 


305 


Protectionists  and  Liberals  joined  hands,  and,  on  the 
very  day  when  the  bill  to  repeal  the  Corn  Laws  passed 
the  House  of  Peers,  Peel  resigned. 

Sir  Robert  Peel  never  again  held  office.  But  during 
the  remainder  of  his  life  he  helped  Lord  John  Russell 
and  the  Liberals  carry  out  the  policy  he  had  begun. 
As  a  political  leader  and  financier,  no  modern  ICnglish- 
man  stands  higher  than  he.  He  had  also  the  highest 
element  of  true  statesmanship, —  the  ability  to  sub- 
ordinate one's  former  convictions  to  the  necessities  of 
the  time.  Peel  left  behind  him  a  devoted  band  of  dis- 
ciples,—the  Peelites,  as  they  were  called.  The  most 
notable  of  them  was  William  luvart  Gladstone,  who, 
even  at  that  time,  had  a  seat  in  the  cabinet. 

The  f^miine  in  Ireland  continued  till  1S49.  In  ICS47 
"soup  kitchens"  were  opened  in  the  worst  districts, 
and  iMVjlish  writers  claim  that  after  their  establishment 
no  one  died  from  actual  starvation.  But  with  ^  ^^^.^^  ^^^^^ 
the  famine  came  a  dreadful  fever;    and  diseases  Kusseirs 

ministry 

not    alwavs    fatal    now    invariably    resulted    in  (1846- 

"  l8'2) 

death.  "The  people,"  to  use  the  words  of  ' 
Mr.  Stuart  Trench,  "died  on  the  roads,  and  they  died 
in  the  fields;  they  died  on  the  mountains,  and  they 
died  in  the  glens ;  they  died  at  the  relief  works,  and 
they  died  in  their  houses, —  so  that  little  streets  or  villages 
were  left  almost  without  an  inhabitant;  and  at  last  some 
few,  despairing  of  help  in  the  country,  crawled  into  the 
towns,  and  died  at  the  doors  of  residents."  How  many 
died  from  the  famine  will  never  be  known.  The  popu- 
lation of  Ireland  in  1841  was  over  eight  millions.  In 
1 85  I  it  was  but  six  and  one  half  millions,  —  over  one 
and  a  half  million  less.  As  a  great  many  children  must 
have  been  born  in  the  intervening  years,  more  than  one 


I 


3o6 


VICTORIA. 


[1848. 


The 
"  clear- 
ances." 


and  a  half  million  men,  women,  and  children  must  have 
perished  in  those  years  or  have  emigrated. 

During  the  years  following  the  passage  of  the  Catholic 
Relief  Act  a  party  of  young  and  enthusiastic  Irishmen 
"Young  had  been  gradually  supplanting  O'Connell.  In 
Ireland."    jg^^  j^^  ^|^j^  ^^^  ^^^  ^^^^^  ^^  ,,  Youug  Ireland  " 

carried  on  and  extended  the  agitation  he  had  begun. 
They  established  a  paper,  called  the  "  Nation,"  at  Dublin, 
and  openly  advocated  separation  from  England  as  the 
only  cure  for  Ireland's  ills.  Nor  were  they  averse  to 
armed  resistance.  In  1848  a  rising  came,  and  proved 
a  complete  failure.  Famine  and  unsuccessful  rebellion 
brought  only  misery  to  Ireland.  Many  landlords  seized 
the  opportunity,  and  turned  the  tenants  out  of  their 
farms  by  the  wholesale.  Entire  estates  were 
cleared  of  their  former  occupants  in  a  week. 
This  was  done,  the  landlords  said,  that  a  new 
and  better  class  of  laborers  might  be  introduced.  Thou- 
sands of  Irishmen,  with  their  families,  sought  a  new  home 
in  America.  In  their  emigration  they  were  often  assis- 
ted by  their  former  landlords  and  by  people  in  England, 
who  seemed  to  think  that  partial  depopulation,  and  not 
a  just  social  organization,  was  the  remedy  for  Ireland's 
wretchedness. 

The  Irish  rebellion  was  not  the  only  rising  in  Europe 
in  1848.  In  fact,  there  were  so  many  rebellions  in  that 
year  that  it  is  still  often  mentioned  as  the  **  Year  of 
Revolutions."  In  England  there  was  no  actual  rebel- 
lion, but  the  radical  reformers  were  very  active.  They 
The  vvere  called  the  Chartists,  because  they  had  em- 

^''•^^-  bodied  their  demands  in  a  document  called 
"  The  People's  Charter."  They  demanded  equal  elec- 
toral districts,  vote  by  ballot,  annual  elections,  universal 


1848.] 


THE   CHARTISTS. 


307 


manhood  suffrage,  a  repeal  of  the  property  qualification 
for  members  of  the  House  of  Commons,  and  the  pay- 
ment of  members.  To  an  American  these  things  seem 
reasonable  enough ;  but  to  Englishmen  thirty  and  forty 
years  ago  they  portended  anarchy.  The  Chartists  pre- 
sented petition  after  petition,  —  the  largest  in  1848.  It 
was  to  have  been  carried  to  Parliament  at  the  head  of 
an  enormous  procession ;  but  the  Government  refused 
to  allow  any  such  body  to  march.  One  hundred  and 
seventy  thousand  citizens  of  London  enlisted  as  special 
constables,  and  soldiers  and  artillery  were  placed  to 
command  the  principal  streets  and  bridges.  The  whole 
demonstration  turned  out  a  complete  failure.  More- 
over, when  the  Government  clerks  counted  the  names 
attached  to  the  petition,  they  found  that  there  were,  not 
five  millions,  as  the  Chartists  claimed,  but  only  two 
millions.  Worse  yet,  many  signatures  were  forgeries, 
as  ''  the  Queen,"  '*  Duke  of  Wellington,"  "  Peel,"  etc. ; 
while  others,  like  "  Pugnose  "  and  ''  No  Cheese,"  were 
plainly  written  for  the  purpose  of  filling  as  much  paper 
as  possible.  Since  then,  however,  many  of  these  de- 
mands of  the  Chartists  have  been  granted. 

The  principal  man  in  Lord  John  Russell's  ministry 
was  Lord  Palmerston,  Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign 
Affairs.  Lord  Palmerston  thought  he  knew  more  about 
foreign  affairs  than  any  one  else,  and  did  many  things 
without  telling  the  queen,  or  even  his  fellow  ministers. 
Now,  it  happened  that  the  queen  and  her  husband  — 
both  Germans  by  extraction  —  took  a  great  interest  in 
German  politics.  They  felt  that  Lord  Palmerston  did 
not  treat  them  with  due  respect,  and  the  queen  wrote 
to  that  effect  to  Lord  John  Russell.  The  next  year, 
1 85 1,    Prince    Louis   Napoleon,    nephew   of  the    great 


308 


VICTORIA. 


[1852. 


Napoleon,  seized  the  Government  of  France.  Lord 
Palmerston  distrusted  the  French  people,  and  felt  a 
good  deal  of  contempt  for  them.  In  an  off-hand  way 
he  told  the  French  minister  at  London  that  Napoleon 
had  done  right.  As  Palmerston  had  not  even  asked 
the  Prime  Minister  what  he  thought  about  it,  Lord 
John  Russell  was  furious,  and  Palmerston  was  dismissed. 
„,,  J.  Soon  after,  he  and  his  personal  friends,  joinin"; 
missal        the  Opposition  for  the  moment,  defeated  Lord 

of  Lord  ^^ 

Palmer-      John    Russcll    on   an   unimportant   matter,  and 

compelled  his  resignation.  Lord  Stanley,  now 
Earl  Derby,  became  Prime  Minister,  with  Mr.  Disraeli 
as  leader  of  the  House  of  Commons. 

Two  other  events  connected  with  the  Russell  ministry 
deserve  mention.     The  first  is  the  entire  repeal  of  the 

Navigation  Laws,  in  1849,  ^rid  the  opening  of 
Derby        the  first  international  exhibition  in  the  Crystal 

Palace,  in  Hyde  Park,  London,  in  1851.  This 
last  was  a  great  success  in  every  way.  The  surplus  was 
used  to  found  the  South  Kensington  Museum  for  the 
advancement  of  art. 

In  November,    1852,   Parliament  came  together,  and 
the  opponents  of  the  Derby-Disraeli   ministry  were  in 

the  majority.     That  ministry  resigned,  and,  the 

Aberdeen  Peelites  joining  the  Liberals,  a  coalition  minis- 
ministry.  -  1  .   1     T  1      A  1  1  -r^   . 

try  was  formed,  with  Lord  Aberdeen  as  Prime 
Minister.  Ever  since  the  time  of  Peter  the  Great  the 
Czars  of  Russia  had  cast  longing  eyes  on  Constantinople 
^^^  and  the  provinces  of  Turkey  in  Europe.     Nich- 

Crimean     olas  was  now  Czar,  and  he  thouf^ht  the  time  to 

^Var  '  r-  .  1 

(1854-  seize  Constantinople  had  arrived.  He  spoke 
^  ^  '  of  the  Sultan  of  Turkey  as  "  the  sick  man  of 
Europe,*'  and  actually  proposed  to  divide  his  territo- 


1857.1 


THE   SEPOY  MUTINY. 


309 


ries  with  England.     But  England  was  jealous  of  Russia, 
and  when  Nicholas  attempted  to  conquer  Turkey,  Eng- 
land   and    France    joined    forces   with  the  Turks,    and 
soon  drove  the  Russians  back.     The  war  then  took  the 
form  of  a  siege  of  Sebastopol,—  a  great  fortress  and 
naval  station  on  the  Crimea,  as  the  peninsula  reaching 
out  into  the  eastern   end   of  the   Black   Sea  is  called. 
During  the   winter  of  1854-55  the  English  troops  suf- 
fered terribly  from  cold  and  lack  of  suitable  clothing, 
and  even  of  the  very  necessaries  of  life.     The  English 
people  declared  that  this  suffering  was  due  to  the  inca- 
pacity  of  Lord   Aberdeen;    and   he  and  some  others 
opposed    to    the  war  resigned.      The    ministry   p^j^^^^. 
was    reconstructed,  with     Lord    Palmerston    as   ston^^^ 
Prime  Minister.     The  war  was  now  carried  on    (1855- 
with  more  vigor,  and  great  reforms  were  made 
in    the    condition    of  the    English    soldiers,    under  the 
leadership  of  a  woman,  Florence  Nightingale.     In   1855 
Sebastopol  was  surrendered,   and  early  in   1856  peace 
was  made  at  Paris. 

Scarcely  was  this  war  ended  when  a  terrible  rebellion 
occurred  in  India.  The  skill,  energy,  and  unprincipled 
extortion  of  Clive  and  Warren  Hastings  laid  a  The  Sepoy 
foundation  upon  which  later  governors  built  a  (.g^'"/ 
splendid  empire.  In  1856  England  ruled,  either  ^^58)- 
directly  or  through  subordinate  princes,  nearly  the 
whole  peninsula  of  India.  The  number  of  English 
soldiers  in  India  was  small.  The  expedient  of  employ- 
ing natives  as  soldiers,  and  teaching  them  to  use  Euro- 
pean arms,  had  been  adopted.  The  native  soldiers  in 
the  English  service  were  called  Sepoys. 

The  English  Government  of  India  endeavored  to  rule 
according  to  modern  ideas,  and  they  found  it  very  hard 


310 


VICTORIA. 


I1858. 


1859.] 


THE   '*  FANCY  FRANCHISES. 


»> 


311 


I 


work.     Indian  society  was  founded  on  a  mass  of  castes, 
or  fixed   grades,   between  which    there    was    no    inter- 
mingling.    In  trying  to  simplify  the  collection  of  taxes, 
the  English,  perhaps  without  realizing  it,  gave  a  great 
blow  to  this  system.     The  good-will  of  the  upper  caste 
was    thus    lost,    and    the    suspicions    of  all   the  natives 
were  aroused.     At  this  inopportune  moment  the  Eng- 
lish Government  decided  to  equip  the  Sepoy  regiments 
with  the  Enfield   rifle,    in  place   of   the    old-fashioned 
musket.     In  those  days,  before  the  epoch  of  the  breech- 
loader, the  rifle  was  loaded  from  the  muzzle,  the  car- 
tridge being  covered  with   grease,  to  enable  it  to  slip 
down  the  barrel  more  easily.     Now,  animal  grease  was 
an    abomination   to    the     native,    whether    Hindoo    or 
Mohammedan.     To   his  suspicious  mind  this  seemed  a 
direct  blow  at  his  religion,  —  especially  as  the  end  of 
the  greased   cartridge  had  to  be  torn  ofl*  by  the  teeth 
before  loading.     The  Sepoys  mutinied,  and  in  1857-58 
there  were  fearful  massacres,  especially  at  Meerut  and 
Cawnpore.      After    a   time,    and    largely    through    the 
efforts  of  Havelock  and  Sir  Colin  Campbell,  the  mutiny 
was  suppressed.     Its  principal  results  were   the  repeal 
of  Pitt's  India  Act,  and  the  transference  of  the  govern- 
ment of  India  to  the  Crown. 

In  1858  an  Italian,  Orsini  by  name,  attempted  to 
murder  Napoleon  III.,  Emperor  of  the  French.  It  was 
asserted  that  Orsini  planned  his  scheme  in  England; 
and  to  prevent  England's  being  made  the  basis  of  future 
attacks,  Palmerston  introduced  a  bill  increasing  the 
penalty  incurred  by  those  conspiring  to  murder,  no 
matter  where  the  murder  should  be  attempted.  This 
awakened  great  jealousy  among  the  English  people, 
who  are  very  sensitive  about  anything  which  looks  like 


"  foreign  dictation."     Some  went  further,  and  declared 
that  Palmerston  was  acting  under  direct  orders    Second 

1  1-        J     ^  •  Derby- 

from  Napoleon.  He  was  obliged  to  resign,  Disraeli 
and  Earl  Derby  again  became  Prime  Minister,  '^p^f^^ 
with  Mr.  Disraeli  as  his  right-hand  man.  ^^59). 

This  second  ministry  of  Earl  Derby  is  memorable  for 
the  passage  of  an  Act  to  admit  Jews  to  Parliament. 
Hitherto  all  members  of  Parliament  had  been   jews 

.1  •  ii  4-U^    4-^.,^    admitted 

obliged  to  swear  to  certain  things  on  the  true  ^^  p^.^^. 
faith  of  a  Christian."  Ten  times  over,  bills  had  "^^"t. 
been  brought  in  to  remove  this  disability.  The  Com- 
mons were  in  favor  of  the  measure,  but  whenever  it  had 
come  before  the  Peers  they  had  rejected  it.  It  was 
now  agreed  to  let  each  House  regulate  its  oaths  as  it 
pleased.  The  Commons  immediately  changed  the  form 
of  its  own  oath,  and  in  July,  1858,  Baron  Rothschild,  the 
great  banker,  took  his  seat  in  the  House  of  Commons. 

The    next    spring    Mr.    Disraeli    brought    forward    a 
scheme  for  further  reform  in  the  representation  in  Par- 
liament.    Mr.  Disraeli  disliked  any  scheme  of  ^j^^ufancy 
representation  based  on   mere   numbers.     He  franchises" 
thought,  however,  that  all  classes  in  the  com- 
munity should  be  represented,  and  in  his  Reform  Bill 
of  1859  he  tried  to  provide  for  this.     He  proposed,  in 
short,  to  give  the  right  of  voting  to  doctors,   lawyers 
college  graduates,  those  receiving  a  pension  from  the 
Government,  or  owning  Government  bonds,  or  having 
money  in   a  savings-bank,  and   many  other  classes  of 
persons.     The  Opposition  laughed  at  these  ''  fancy  fran- 
chises," as  they  were  termed,  and  defeated  the  bill.     A 
general  election  was  then  held,   and  when  Parliament 
assembled,  Mr.  Disraeli  found  himself  in  a  minority  in 
the  Commons.     He  and  Lord  Derby  resigned,  and  the 
Liberals  again  took  office. 


^ig^g^^M^gjSSi^mf?w9^mf 


312 


VICTORIA. 


[i860. 


Lord  Palmerston  was  again  Prime  Minister  with  Lord 
John  Russell  as  Foreign  Secretary.  Mr.  Gladstone  now 
definitely  threw  in  his  lot  with  the  Liberal  party,  and 


LORD  JOHN    RUSSELL  :     FROM   A   PAINTING   BY   SIR   F.   GRANT, 
IN    POSSESSION   OF   DOWAGER   COUNTESS   RUSSELL. 

became  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer,   or  minister  of 
Second       finance.    Lord  Palmerston  was  now  an  old  man, 

(Tsf'^  his  ministry,  he  tried  only  to  keep  his  party 
1862).  together,  and  to  avoid  all  causes  of  excitement 
at  home.  In  i860  Lord  John  Russell  brou-ht  in  a 
Reform  Bill;   but  no  interest  was  taken  in  the  subject. 


1861.] 


THE  COTTON  FAMINE. 


313 


Palmerston  even  staying  away  from  the  debates;  so 
Russell  withdrew  the  bill,  and  no  reforms  of  any  kind 
were  attempted,  except  in  the  finances. 

By  this  time  free-trade  doctrines  had  been  accepted 
as  true  by  the  great  mass  of  Englishmen.  In  1859  a 
commercial  treaty  with  France  caused  a  large  Gladstone's 
extension  of  English  commerce.  Mr.  Gladstone  financial 
seized  the  opportunity  this  treaty  gave  him  to 
rearrange  all  the  taxes.  In  1845,  11 63  articles  were 
taxed  when  imported.  By  1859  the  number  had  been 
reduced  to  419.  During  these  years  of  Palmerston's 
second  ministry  Mr.  Gladstone  carried  bills  reducing 
the  number  of  articles  taxed  at  importation  to  forty-five ; 
and  yet  all  the  time  the  revenue  went  on  increasing. 
This  was  the  more  remarkable  because  during  these 
years  the  Civil  War  was  raging  in  America,  and 
Eneland's  trade  with  the  United  States  was  seriously 

impaired. 

The  most  serious  blow  to  trade,  however,  was  the 
almost  entire  stoppage  of  the  American  cotton  supply 
during  the  Civil  War.      Upon  this  cotton  the    ^^^^ 
working-people  of  Manchester,  Liverpool,  and    Cotton^ 
other  manufacturing  towns  depended.      When 
the  supply  ceased,  the  mills  stopped,  and  no  more  wages 
could  be  earned.     Starvation  stared  the  working-people 
in  the  face,  and  that  through  no  fault  of  their  own.     Yet 
they  recognized  that  the  cause  of  the  American  Union 
was  the  cause  of  free  labor  the  world  over,  and  deserv- 
ing of  the  sympathy  of  the  working-class.     But  it  must 
be  remembered  that  this  class  had  at  that  time  little  or 
nothing  to  do  with  governing  England. 

It   was  far   otherwise  with   the  upper  classes.      Mr. 
Gladstone  placed  himself  squarely  on  the  side  of  the 


[■Tinw<UMHMrtimrflrf°niif  xmk-  ^i^n^ 


12 


VICTORIA. 


[iS6o. 


Lord  Palmcrston  was  a-ain  Prime  Minister  with  Lord 
Jolin  Russell  as  Foreign  Secretary.  Mr.  Gladstone  now 
definitely  threw  in  his  lot  with  the   Liberal  part)',   and 


LORD  J(JHN    RUSSE-M.:     FROM   A    I'MXTING    V.Y    SIR    K.    cr  vxT 
I.V    I'(XSSESSH)\    UF   DUWA(;KR    countess    RUSSELL. 

became   Chancellor   of  the    Kxchcqucr,   or   minister  of 
Second       finance.     Lord  Palmerston  was  now  an  old  man, 

mini  t        '^"'^  ^^'^  ^^^^  ^^"^^  ^^  ^^'"^  '^^''''  ^^'^^'^^^  ^'"^^^^  ^^'>th 
os^t'^'     his   ministry,   he   tried   only  to  keep  his   party 

1^62).        together,  and  to  avoid  all  causes  of  excitement 

at  home.      In    i860  Lord  John   Russell   brou-ht   in   a 

Reform  Bill;   but  no  interest  was  taken  in  the  subject 


1S61.] 


THE   COTTON   FAMINE. 


313 


Palmerston  even  staying  away  from  the  debates;  so 
Russell  withdrew  the  bill,  and  no  reforms  of  an>-  kind 
were  attempted,  except  in  the  finances. 

By  this  time  free-trade  doctrines  had  been  accepted 
as  true  by  the  great  mass  of  Englishmen.  In  1859  a 
commercial  treaty  with  France  caused  a  large  (^;,^^^j^t.,„^,^ 
extension  of  ICnglish  commerce.  Mr.  Gladstone  in^y^^ 
seized  the  opportunity  this  treaty  gave  him  to 
rearrange  all  the  taxes.  In  1845,  11 63  articles  were 
taxed  when  imported.  By  1859  the  number  had  been 
reduced  to  419.  During  these  years  of  Palmerston's 
second  ministry  Mr.  Gladstone  carried  bills  reducing 
the  number  of  articles  taxed  at  importation  to  forty-five  ; 
and  yet  all  the  time  the  revenue  went  on  increasing. 
This  was  the  more  remarkable  because  during  these 
years  the  Civil  War  was  raging  in  America,  and 
KnMand's  trade  with  the   United   States  was  seriously 

impaired. 

The   most   serious  blow  to   trade,   however,  was  the 
almost  entire  stoppage  of  the  American  cotton  supply 
during  the  Civil   War.      Upon  this  cotton  the    ,^,j^^ 
working-people  of  Manchester,  Liverpool,  and    Cutton^ 
other   manufiicturing  towns  depended.      When 
the  supply  ceased,  the  mills  stopped,  and  no  more  wages 
could  be  earned.     Starvation  stared  the  working-people 
in  the  face,  and  that  through  no  fault  of  their  own.     Yet 
they  recognized  that  the  cause  of  the  American  Union 
was  the  cause  of  free  labor  the  world  over,  and  deserv- 
ing of  the  sympathy  of  the  working-class.     But  it  must 
be  remembered  that  this  class  had  at  that  time  little  or 
nothing  to  do  with  governing  England. 

It   was  far   otherwise  with   the  upper  classes.      Mr. 
Gladstone  placed  himself  squarely  on  the  side   of  the 


H...  MK-mfM  ■  ir-n  f  -■  ir-f  I  nrtimiMtlin 


314 


VICTORIA. 


[1863. 


1867.] 


THE   SECOND   REFORM  ACT. 


315 


Confederate  States.     So  did  other  Liberal  leaders,  one 
of  them  going  so  far  as  to  say  that  the  separation  of 
England's  ^^^  North  and  South  was  desirable.     Mr.  John 
policy        Bright  and  the  Prince  Consort  remained  through- 
the  Civil     out  the  friends  of  those  struggling  in  the  cause 
of  union  and  freedom ;    and  it  required  all  their 
influence  to  prevent  England's  taking  sides.     The  min- 
istry was    soon    assailed    by    both    belligerents.      The 
seceding  States  wished  belligerents'  rights  granted  them, 
even    if  England  would   not  go  farther  and  recognize 
their   independence.      The    Southern  Confederacy  was, 
in  fact,  recognized    as  a  belligerent;    that  is,  England 
determined    to    be    neutral,    and    forbade    either   party 
using  her  ports  as  starting-points  for  hostile  expeditions. 
The  trouble  was  that  the  English  law  did  not  give  the 
Government  sufficient  power  to  carry  out  this  policy. 
Americans  are  apt  to  censure  too  severely  Lord  Palmer- 
ston  and  Earl  Russell  for  their  actions  during  the  strug- 
gle.    For  some  unexplained  reason,  "  English  society  '* 
sympathized    very   strongly   indeed  with   the  seceding 
States,   and   Lord   Palmerston  needed  all    his  tact  and 
energy  to   prevent  the  ministry  from    being  forced  to 
take  the  side  of  the   South.      Charles  Francis  Adams 
was   the   American    Minister  at  London   during  these 
The  "Ala-  years.     He   had  a  most  difficult  part   to  play. 
An    English-built    privateer,    the   "Alabama," 
escaped  before  the  Government  could  make  up  its  mind 
to  seize    her.     Other  and  more  powerful    Confederate 
cruisers  were  on  the  point  of  being  launched,  when  Mr. 
Adams  wrote  promptly  to  Earl  Russell  that  such  negli- 
gence   on    the  part  of  the    English    Government   was 
equivalent  to  war.     The  ministry  awoke,  and  seized  the 
cruisers.     In  the  end,  the  insufficiency  of  her  laws  to 


prevent  the  fitting  out  of  armed  expeditions  aganist 
friendly  powers  cost  England  fifteen  and  one-half  mil- 
lion dollars,  —  this  being  the  sum  a  Court  of  Arbitration 
held  at  Geneva  awarded  as  damages  to  the  United 
States.  In  1865  Lord  Palmerston  died,  and  Lord  John 
Russell,  who  had  been  raised  to  the  peerage  as  Earl 
Russell,  took  his  place  as  Prime  Minister. 

Earl    Russell,    with    rather    injudicious    haste,    now 
brought  forward  a  Reform  Bill ;  but  his  party  was  not 
yet  ready  to  vote  for  such  a  measure.     He  was   ^^^^^_ 
defeated,  and  resigned.      Earl  Derby  and   Mr.    DisraeU 
Disraeli  for  the  third  time  took  charge  of  the   (^865- 
crovernment.      In  February,    1868,  Earl  Derby 
resigned,  and  Mr.  Disraeli  for  nearly  a  year  was  Prime 

Minister.  .     . 

The  Liberals,  though  disunited,  formed  a  majority 
in  the  Commons,  and  Mr.  Disraeli  was  obliged  to  act 
very  nearly  as  they  wished.     He  soon  brought  .^^ 
in  a  Reform  Bill  himself;    and  as  the   people   Second^ 
were  now  taking  a  great  interest  in  the  subject.   Art  ^^ 
a  bill  for  this  purpose  was  carried  through.    As 
finally  passed,  the   Second    Reform  Act  was    really   a 
Liberal   measure,  -  more   radical,  in  fact,  than  either 
Mr.  Gladstone  or  Mr.  Bright  then  wished;  and  it  greatly 
extended  the  franchise. 

Up  to  this  time  all  inhabitants  of  the  several  towns 
or  parishes  in  England  had  been  obliged  by  law  to  pay 
taxes,  or  rates,  for  the  support  of  the  Estab-  compui-^ 
lished  Church,  whether  they  attended  its  services  abolished 
or  not.  On  the  motion  of  Mr.  Gladstone,  an  C^os). 
Act  abolishing  compulsory  taxation  for  religious  pur- 
poses in  England  was  passed.  Then  he  hit  upon  a 
scheme  for  uniting  the  divisions  of  the  Liberal  party. 


3i6 


n 

a 
I* 


VICTORIA. 


[1868. 


1870.] 


THE   IRISH   LAND   ACT. 


317 


i 
I 


Ever  since  the  time  of  Queen  Elizabeth  the  English 
p^„  Church  had  been  established  in  Ireland.     Pro- 

Disraeii      ^^^^y  "o^  One-tenth  of  the  people  of  Ireland 
jninutry     ever  attended  the  services  of  the   Established 
Church.     The  Catholics  hated    it,   not   merely 
because  .t  was  a  Protestant  Church,  but  also  because  it 
was  a  religion  forced  upon  them  by  their  conquerors ; 
nor  did  the  great  mass  of  the  Protestants  like  it  much 
better.      Most  of  them  were  Presbyterians,  and  were 
opposed  to  the  English  Episcopal  Church  on  their  own 
account.     The  continuance  of  this  State  Church  of  an 
alien  minority  seemed  to  English  Liberals  to  be  a  great 
evil.    They  joined  Mr.  Gladstone  to  disestablish  it,  or 
m  other  words,  to  separate  it  frpm  the  State.     In  the 
general  election  in  1868  the  Liberals  were  successful. 
Mr.  Disraeli  resigned,  and  Mr.  Gladstone  became  Prime 
Minister. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  redeem  the  promises 
made  with  regard  to  the  Irish  Church.  This  was  now 
First  disestablished,  notwithstanding  the  opposition 
GMs^one  of  the  Peers,  who  dreaded  any  change  in  the 
(.868-  relation  of  Church  and  State.  In  place  of  the 
Irish  Church  an  independent  Episcopal  Church 
was  organized  in  Ireland.  The  passage  of  this  measure 
opened  the  flood-gates  for  reform,  and  in  the  next  five 
years  one  measure  after  another  was  carried. 

The  most  important  of  these  was  the  Irish  Land  Act 
To  understand  it  and  the  reasons  for  its  passage  we 
must  look  a  little  more  closely  into  the  mode  of  holding 
{nsh  land  in  Ireland.  This  is  the  more  necessary. 
Act  of  because  to  an  American  the  whole  land  system 
'""■  of  the  United  Kingdom  seems  more  or  less 
absurd.     In    all   settled   countries    arable    land   has  a 


f 


value.      In  America  it  is  usually  divided  into  moder- 
ately small  estates,  owned  by  the  farmers  who  cultivate 
them.     It  is  true  that  many  American  farms  are  mort- 
gaged •   but  even  then  the  title  to  the  property  is  in  the 
cultivator,  as  long  as  he  pays  his  taxes,  and  interest  on 
the  mortgage.     In  England,  however,  the  case  is  quite 
different.      There,  the    arable  land   is   owned   in   large 
pieces  by  a  small  number  of  rich  landowners.     These 
estates  are    usually  divided  into  farms,  which    are   let, 
with  all  their  improvements,  to  the  farmers  who  cul- 
tivate them.      The  terms  in  each  case  are  determined 
by  an  agreement  between  the  owner  and  tenant,  called  a 
lease.     Now,  English  farmers  are  usually  men  of  some 
means,  who   can   use   their  money  and    brains    in    an- 
other way  if  they  fail  to  find  a  farm  to  their  tastes.     In 
Ireland    precisely    the    same    conditions    prevailed    in 
theory.     In  practice,  however,  the  land  systems  of  the 
two  countries  were  as  unlike  as  two  things  of  the  same 
kind  could  well  be.     The  soil  of  Ireland  was  owned  by 
a  small  number  of  persons,  as  was  the  case  in  England ; 
but  there  the  similarity  ceased.     In  Ireland  there  were 
few  well-to-do  farmers  able  to  make  satisfactory  terms 
with  the  landlords,  or  to  engage  in  any  other  occupa- 
tion.    On  the  contrary,  it  was  absolutely  necessary  for 
most  Irishmen,  if  they  wished  to  live  in  Ireland,  to  have 
land  to  cultivate ;    there  was   nothing  else  for  them  to 
do.     Thus  the  landlords  were  able  to   make  their  own 
terms  with  their  tenants.     Instead  of  providing  a  farm 
with  a  system  of  drainage  and  buildings  all  complete, 
the  landlord   only  let  the  land  itself  to  his  tenants.     If 
the  tenant  wished  a  house  to  live  in,  he  must  build  one. 
If  he  wished  a  barn  to  place  his  crops  in,  he  must  build 
that.    If  he  thought  draining  would  make  the  farm  more 


3i8 


VICTORIA. 


[1870. 


1870.] 


THE   IRISH   LAND   ACT. 


319 


profitable,  he  must  make  the  necessary  improvements 
himself.  Then  in  Ireland  there  were  few  leases,  and 
the  great  mass  of  the  farmers  were  only  tenants  at  will; 
that  is,  the  landlords  might  turn  them  out  of  their  farms 
at  will,  the  forms  of  law,  of  course,  being  complied  with. 


MR.   GLADSTONE,   FROM    A    PHOTOGRAPH    BY   ELLIOTT  &    FRY,    1880. 

This  was  called -eviction."  Let  us  see  how  this  sys- 
tem worked  in  practice.  Suppose  a  tenant  were  to 
hire  a  farm  and  to  improve  the  land  so  as  to  make  it 
more  profitable.  The  landlord  immediately  raises  the 
rent;  for  is  not  the  tenant  able  to  pay  more  rent>  If 
the  tenant  demurs,  he  is  evicted,  and  the  farm  let  to 
some  one  else.     So  it  was  not  for  the  interest  of  the 


I 


Irish   farmer  to  improve  his  property,  or,  in  fact,  to 
appear  to  be  in  any  way  prosperous,—  not  even  to  buy 
a  new  coat ;  for  if  the  landlord  saw  him  with  a  new  coat 
on  his  back,  he  might  be  tempted  to  raise  the  rent. 
The  inevitable  result  of  such  a  system  was  bad  cultiva- 
tion and  a  conflict  between  the  two  classes,  which  went 
by  the  name  of  the  "  land-war."     The  Irish  desired  a 
share  in  the  land.     They  demanded  a  fixity  of  tenure ; 
that  is,  the  right  to  one's  holding  as  long  as  the  rent 
was  paid.     They  also  demanded  that  the  tenant  should 
have  the  right,  when  he   left   his  holding,  to  sell  his 
improvements  to  the  incoming  tenant.      Finally,  they 
demanded  fair  rents,—  the  amount  to  be  determined  by 
a  court  instituted  for  that  purpose.     The  first  two  de- 
mands were  practically  included  under  what  was  known 
as  the  "  Ulster  custom  "  of  landholding,  —  the  practice 
which  prevailed  in  the  Protestant  northern  province  of 
Ulster      There  the  tenant  enjoyed  his  holding  as  long 
as  he  paid  his  rent ;  and  when  he  parted  with  it,  he 
might  sell  his  improvements  under  the  name  of  "  good- 
will "     Mr.  Gladstone  now  made  the  custom  of  Ulster, 
which  was  indeed  that  of  some  other  parts  of  Ireland 
also,  the  basis  of  his  Land  Act.     By  this  Act  no  tenant, 
as  long  as  he  paid  his  rent,  could  be  turned  out  of  his 
holding,  or  evicted,  without  receiving  from  the  landlord 
compensation  for  disturbance.     Compensation  for  im- 
provements was  also  provided,  and  the  Ulster  custom 
and  other  similar  customs  were  legalized  wherever  they 

obtained. 

The  other  great  feature  of  the  Act  was  the  attempt  to 
establish  a  peasant  proprietary,  or  small  farm  system, 
in  Ireland.  The  clauses  embodying  this  scheme  were 
mainly  the  work  of  Mr.  John  Bright ;  and  they  are  hence 


I 


31'^ 


VK  TOr<IA. 


[IS70 


profitable,  he  must  make  tlic  nccc.vsar\-  improvements 
himself.  Ihcn  in  Iielaiul  th.ere  were  feu  leases,  and 
the  i,rrcat  m.iss  of  the  farmers  were  only  tenants  at  will; 
that  is,  the  landlords  mi-ht  turn  them  out  of  their  farms 
at  will,  the  forms  of  law.  of  course,  bein-  complied  with. 


MR.    GLADSTONE,    FROM    A    I-H010(;RAl>n    CV    ELLIO 11    .^    FRV,    iSSo. 

This  was  called -eviction."  Let  us  see  how  this  sys- 
tem worked  in  practice.  Suppose  a  tenant  were  to 
hire  a  farm  and  to  improve  the  land  so  as  to  make  it 
more  profitable.  The  landlord  immediatelv  raises  the 
rent;  for  is  not  the  tenant  able  to  pav  more  rent^  If 
the  tenant  demurs,  he  is  evicted,  and  the  farm  let  to 
some  one  else.     So  it  was  not  for  the  interest  of  the 


I 


1S70.] 


TIIK    IRISH    LAND    ACT. 


319 


Irish    farmer  to   improve   his   property,  or,  in   fact,   to 
appear  to  be  in  any  way  prosperous,-  not  even  to  bu\- 
a  new  coat ;   for  if  the  huullord  saw  him  with  a  new  coat 
on   his  back,  he  niiyht  he   tempted  to   raise   the   rent. 
The  inevitable  result  of  such  a  system  was  bad  cultiva- 
tion and  a  conflict  between  the  two  classes,  which  went 
by  the   name  of  the   "  land-war."     The   Irish   desired  a 
share  in  the  land.     They  demanded  a  fixity  of  tenure: 
that  is,  the  riiiht  to  one's  holdins;  as  long  as  the  rent 
was  paid.     They  also  demanded  that  the  tenant  should 
have   the   right,   when  he    left    his   holding,  to  sell  his 
improvements  to  the  incoming  tenant.      Finally,  they 
demanded  fair  rents,- the  amount  to  be  determined  by 
a  court   instituted  for  that   purpose.     The   first  two  de- 
mands were  practically  included  under  what  was  known 
as  the  "  Ulster  custom  "  of  landholding,  —  the  practice 
which  prcxailed  in  the  Protestant  northern  province  of 
Ulster.     There  the  tenant  enjoyed  his  holding  as  long 
as  he  paid   his   rent;  and  when   he  parted  with  it,  he 
might  sell  his  improvements  under  the  name  of  "  good- 
will"    Mr.  Gladstone  now  made  the  custom  of  Ulster, 
which  was  indeed  that  of  some   other  parts   of  Ireland 
also,  the  basis  of  his  Land  Act.     By  this  Act  no  tenant, 
as  long  as  he  paid  his  rent,  could  be  turned  out  of  his 
holding,  or  evicted,  without  receiving  from  the  landlord 
compensation   for  disturbance.     Compcnsati.in  for  im- 
provements was  also  provi.led.  and  the  Ulster  custom 
and  other  similar  customs  were  legalized  wherever  thc>- 

obtained. 

The  other  great  feature  of  the  Act  was  the  attempt  to 
establish  a  peasant  proprietary,  or  small  farm  system, 
in  Ireland.  The  clauses  embodying  this  scheme  were 
mainly  the  work  of  Mr.  John  Bright ;   and  they  are  hence 


■■.ti-^-j^is.-^r-  ^  <-.rwa 


320 


VICTORIA. 


[1871. 


called  the  "  Bright  Clauses."     The  Act  as  a  whole,  how- 
ever, was  a  complete  failure,  owing  to  the  imperfections 
of  its  details.     No  further  attempt  was  made  till 

The  / 

"Bright  1880  to  carry  out  the  great  principles  of  right 
and  justice  which  gave  rise  to  the  bill.  But  by 
the  Land  Act  of  1881  the  Government  conceded  the 
demands  of  the  Irish  for  the  ''three  F's,"  as  they  were 
called, —  fixity  of  tenure,  free  sale,  and  fair  rents.  Since 
that  time  the  Irish  have  sought  to  secure  *'  home  rule," 
or  local  self-government. 

It  is  scarcely  conceivable  that  before  1870  there  was 
no  scheme  for  free  elementary  education  in  England. 
National  Yet  such  was  the  case.  Attempts  had  indeed 
education,  been  from  time  to  time  made  to  remedy  this 
state  of  things ;  but  the  Churchmen  and  the  Dissenters 
were  never  able  to  unite  on  any  measure.  In  1871, 
however,  a  bill  was  passed  providing  for  free  elementary 
education  to  all  not  able  to  pay  for  it.  At  the  same 
time  secondary  education  was  much  improved,  and  the 
religious  tests  at  the  universities  were  abolished,  except 
for  holders  of  fellowships. 

The  next  subject  taken  up  was  a  reform  of  the  army. 
Perhaps  in  all  England  there  was  nothing  more  anti- 
quated than  the  army  organization ;  and  nothing  more 
Abolition  ^"^iquatcd  in  that  organization  than  the  system 
of  Pur-       of  allowing  officers  to  choose  their  own  rank 

chase  •"        ,  -        . 

the  Amiy  by  purchasmg  a  commission.  Promotions  for 
'  ^*  ■  merit  were  rare,  and  splendid  officers,  deserv- 
ing well  of  the  nation,  might  be  superseded  by  rich 
men  who  could  buy  a  commission.  Yet  the  conserva- 
tive feelings  of  Englishmen  were  so  strong  that  it  was 
only  by  a  doubtful  constitutional  expedient  that  this 
absurd  practice  could  be  abolished.     The  other  reforms 


1872.] 


BALLOT  ACT. 


321 


(1872). 


in    the   army  were  not  so   strongly   opposed,    and    its 
organization  was  in  many  ways  very  much  improved. 

The  two  greatest  reforms  in  the  direction  of  good 
government  were  the  separation  of  the  civil  service 
from  party  politics,  and  the  introduction  of  vote  by 
ballot.  Civil  service  reform  had  been  begun  long  be- 
fore, and  it  was  now  completed.     But  the  Ballot 

A  .      ,  Ballot 

Act    was    an    entirely  new  measure  as    far  as   Act 
Englishmen  were  concerned.     Up  to  this  time 
the  voting  had  been  entirely  open,  and  every  landlord 
knew  how  his  tenants  voted ;   every  manufacturer  knew 
how  his  working-people  —  such  of  them  as  possessed  the 
franchise  —  voted;  and   every  parish   priest  in  Ireland 
knew  how  his  parishioners  voted.     Indeed,  elections  in 
Ireland  were  struggles  between  the  landlord   and  the 
priests.     The  elections  throughout  the  United  Kingdom 
could  in  no  sense  be  called  free  under  such  a  system. 
In  1872  this  was  remedied  by  the  passage  of  the  Ballot 
Act,  introducing  the  Australian  system  of  secret  voting. 
At  the  same  time  very  stringent  measures  were  taken 
for  the  prevention  of  bribery,  which  were  made  still  more 
stringent  in  1883.    A  further  extension  of  the  franchise 
was  desirable,  and  this  was  won  by  the  Third  Reform 
Act  in  1884.     At  the  same  time  the  old  borough  system 
was  abandoned,  and  representation  was  based  on  popu- 
lation.    Thus  by  the  three  Reform  Acts,  by  the  Acts 
forbidding  contractors  and  others  sitting  in  the  Com- 
mons, by  the  Acts  against  bribery,  by  the  Acts  separating 
the  civil  service  from  party  politics,  and  by  the  Acts 
providing  for  secret  voting,  the  whole  structure  of  Par- 
liament has  been  changed.     The  House  of  Commons 
no  longer  represents  the  landowning  and  wealthy  classes 
alone,  but  the  whole  mass  of  the  people  of  the  United 
Kingdom. 


21 


afiW  jsgi^tt*-'.:  V  a.  JusMftkiiuuriaffTi.  aaaa^ j 


322 


VICTORIA. 


[1874. 


These  changes,  however  much  they  promoted  good 
government  and   freedom,  could  hardly  fail  to  arouse 
strong  opposition.     And  Mr.  Gladstone's  Government 
was  weakened  in  another  way.     It  so  happened  that,  in 
1870,   a  great  war  broke  out    between    Germany    and 
Mr.  Glad-    France.     The  Czar  of  Russia  seized  the  oppor- 
forSgn       tunity,  when  France  was  engaged  in  this  life- 
policy,       and-death   struggle,  to   undo  the  work  of  the 
Crimean  War,  and  to  overthrow  the  Treaty  of  Paris  of 
1856.      Single-handed,  England  could  do  nothing,  and 
was  forced  to  acquiesce  in  Russia's  demands.     This  was 
not  the  fault  of  Mr.  Gladstone  or  his  ministry,  but  it  no 
less  made  him  unpopular.     Then,  too,  while  pursuing  a 
policy  of  peace  and  justice  in  submitting  the  disputes 
between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  to  arbitra- 
tion, the    Government   acquired   still  more  unpopular- 
ity, for  the  decisions  of  the  arbitrators  were  in  every 
way  against  Great  Britain.     All  these  things,  added  to 
the  desire  for  rest  from  reform,  turned  people  against 
Mr.  Gladstone.     A  general  election  was  held  in  1874. 
The  Liberals  were   defeated,  and   Mr.  Disraeli  became 
Prime  Minister. 

The  Conservatives  had  opposed  these  reform  mea- 
sures as  strongly  as  they  could;  but  they  were  now 
^^  compelled  to  carry  them  out,  while  taking  off 

Disraeli's    the  edge  of  the  most  distasteful  changes.     But 

ministry  ° 

(1874-       not  much  was  done,  in  one  way  or  the  other,  as 
far  as  the  home  land  was  concerned,  and,  in  fact, 
the  main  interest  of  Mr.  Disraeli's  administration  was 
jj.^  in  his  foreign  policy.     This  was  in  marked  con- 

« Imperial  trast  with  that  of  his  predecessor.     In  the  first 

policy." 

place,  Mr.  Disraeli  believed  in  what  he  called  an 
"  Imperial  policy."    That  is  to  say,  he  thought  England 


1875.]  PURCHASE  OF  SUEZ  CANAL  SHARES. 


323 


LORD   BEACONSFIELD  :     FROM  A  PHOTOGRAPH   BY  J.  HUGHES,  1876. 

should  take  a  leading  part  in  the  disputes  of  the  world 
Perhaps  the  most  striking  act  of  his  time  was  the  pur- 
chase of  the  Khedive  of  Egypt's  shares  in  the  Suez 
Canal.     That  canal  formed  part  of  England's  road  to 


f 


3^2 


VICTORIA. 


[1S74. 


These  chancres,  however  much  they  promoted  good 
government  and  freedom,  could  hardly  fail  to  arouse 
strong  opposition.  And  Mr.  Gladstone's  Government 
was  weakened  in  another  way.  It  so  happened  that,  in 
1870,  a  great  war  broke  out  between  Germany  and 
Mr.r.iad-  I^Vance.  The  Czar  of  Russia  seized  the  oppor- 
furei-n  tuuity,  wheu  1' ranee  was  engaged  in  this  lifc- 
H'cy.  and-death  struggle,  to  undo  the  work  of  the 
Crimean  War,  and  to  overthrow  the  Treaty  of  Paris  of 
1S36.  Single-handed,  England  could  do  nothing,  and 
was  forced  to  acquiesce  in  Russia's  demands.  This  was 
not  the  fault  of  Mr.  Gladstone  or  his  ministry,  but  it  no 
less  made  him  unpopular.  Then,  too,  while  pursuing  a 
policy  of  peace  and  justice  in  submitting  the  disputes 
between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  to  arbitra- 
tion, the  Government  acquired  still  more  unpopular- 
ity, for  the  decisions  of  the  arbitrators  were  in  every 
way  against  Great  Britain.  All  these  things,  added  to 
the  desire  f(^r  rest  from  reform,  turned  people  against 
Mr.  Glatlstone.  A  general  election  was  held  in  1874. 
The  Liberals  were  defeated,  and  Mr.  Disraeh  became 
Prime  Minister. 

The  Conservatives  had  opposed  these  reform  mea- 
sures as  strongly  as  they  could;  but  they  were  now 
^^^  compelled   to  carry  them  out,  while  taking  off 

Disnicli's    the  edge  of  the  most  distasteful  chancies.     l^ut 

ministry  " 

(1S74-"      not  much  was  done,  in  one  way  or  the  other,  as 
far  as  the  home  land  was  concerned,  and,  in  fact, 
the  main  interest  of  Mr.  Disraeli's  administration  was 
jj.^  in  his  foreign  policy.     This  was  in  marked  con- 

*'  Imperial  trast  with  that  of  his  predecessor.     In  the  first 

policv."  1  TIT 

place,  Mr.  Disraeli  believed  in  what  he  called  an 
**  Imperial  policy."    That  is  to  say,  he  thought  England 


1S75]  PURCHASE   OF   SUEZ  CANAL   SHARES. 


3^3 


i' 


I..>UD   l:|.:AC,,NSFIK,.r,  :     KROM   a   photograph   liY  J.  HUGHES,  ,876. 

should  take  a  leading  part  in  the  disputes  of  the  world 
Perhaps  the  most  striking  act  of  his  time  was  the  pur- 
chase of  the  Khedive  of  Egypt's  shares  in  the  Sue/ 
Canal.     That  canal  formed  part  of  England's  road  to 


-ifs^^^aif' 


I  ■ 

1 
il 


324 


VICTORIA. 


[1880. 


India.  It  was  in  danger  of  falling  completely  into  the 
hands  of  the  French,  when  suddenly  the  English  Gov- 
ernment, without  any  vote  of  Parliament,  bought  by 
telegraph  the  Khedive's  shares,  —  not  quite  one  half  of 
the  whole  capital  stock  in  the  enterprise,  —  for  about 
twenty  million  dollars. 

Before  long  a  great  war  broke  out  between  Russia 
and  Turkey,  in  which  Russia  was  very  successful,  and 
Congress  Seemed  about  to  absorb  a  large  part  of  Turkey's 
of  Berlin,  possessions  in  Europe.  Mr.  Disraeli,  who  had 
been  raised  to  the  peerage  in  1876  as  Earl  of  Beacons- 
field,  regarded  this  as  directly  opposed  to  the  interests 
of  England.  A  great  many  Englishmen  thought  as  he 
did,  and  the  following  song  became  popular :  — 

"  We  don't  want  to  fight, 
But,  by  Jingo,  if  we  do, 
We  Ve  got  the  ships, 
We  Ve  got  the  men. 
We  've  got  the  money  too." 

The  new  policy  was  hence  called  "  the  Jingo  policy." 
And  it  was  for  a  time  very  prosperous.  Lord  Beacons- 
field  went  to  a  general  congress  of  the  Great  Powers  of 
Europe  held  at  Berlin,  and  Russia  was  compelled  to 
give  up  most  of  the  advantages  she  had  gained  from 
Turkey.  In  pursuance  of  this  same  "  Imperial  policy," 
perhaps,  the  queen  was  easily  persuaded  to  take  the 
title  of  Empress  of  India. 

Now  it  happened  that  Mr.  Gladstone  was  a  man  of 
very  strong  feelings  and  prejudices,  as  well  as  of  tremen- 
Overthrow  dous  energy.  He  became  convinced  that  the 
servaUvS^'  Turks  had  treated  the  Christians  living  in  the 
(1880).  Turkish  province  of  Bulgaria  very  cruelly;  he 
also  thought  this  "  jingo  policy  "  quite  wrong.    A  general 


^ 


CONCLUSION. 


325 


election  was  held  in  1880,  and  Mr.  Gladstone  re-entered 
political  life  with  all  his  old  fire  and  success.  In  a  series 
of  speeches  he  converted  a  majority  of  the  voters  of 
Great  Britain  to  his  views.  The  Conservatives  were 
defeated,  and  Mr.  Gladstone  again  became  Prime 
Minister. 

In  thus  tracing  the  formation  and  growth  of  the  great 
British  Empire,  the  reader  will  notice  the  vast  energy 
and  persistence  with  which  "the  expansion  of 
England,"  as  it  has  been  called,  has  been  carried  British 
on.  A  little  island  off  the  coast  of  Europe  has  ^^^^^' 
made  itself  the  head  of  the  most  marvellous  empire 
which  the  world  ever  saw.  The  British  Empire  has 
now  an  area  of  some  nine  million  square  miles  of  terri- 
tory, scattered  all  over  the  globe ;  and  it  has  one-half 
of  the  ocean  commerce  of  the  world.  Its  area  is  nearly 
three  times  that  of  the  United  States,  and  almost  three 
times  that  of  all  Europe.  This  empire  lies  in  all  zones, 
bears  all  products,  and  represents  almost  every  race, 
color,  religion,  and  mode  of  government.  The  sun  never 
sets  upon  the  British  Empire ;  and  though  this  fact  is 
now  found  to  be  true  of  the  United  States  also,  since 
the  acquisition  of  Alaska,  yet  it  is  barely  true;  and 
there  is  no  real  comparison  to  be  made  between  the  two 
nations  as  to  range  of  soil  and  variety  of  people. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  with 
the  British  Empire,  as  with  the  Roman  Empire,  its 
weakness  lies  in  its  very  extent.  It  is  not  made  conciu- 
up,  as  is  mainly  the  case  with  the  United  States,  ^'°^' 
of  a  population  speaking  the  same  language  and  adopt- 
ing similar  laws.  A  large  part  of  those  included  in  the 
British  Empire,  including  the  whole  vast  Indian  popu- 


326 


VICTORIA. 


lation,  are  kept  there  by  force  of  arms,  and  without  any 
real  sympathy  or  fellowship,  and  may  at  any  moment 
prove  a  source  of  weakness  rather  than  strength.     Then 
there  are  colonies,  almost  purely  British  in  origin,  —  as 
Australia,  —  which  are  so  nearly  independent  that  many 
persons  consider  it  only  a  question  of  time  when  they 
shall  become  detached,  like  the  United  States ;  and  when 
Canada  itself  may  be  independent,  or  join  its  fate  with 
the  North  American  Republic.     It  is  a  very  important 
fact  that,  as  stated  by  Sir  Charles  Dilke,  there  are  three 
times  as  many  natives  of  Great  Britain  in  the  United 
States  as  in  all  the  British  colonies  put  together.     This 
fact,  while  sometimes  a  source  of  jealousy,  promises  in 
the  end  to  bring  this  nation  and  England  closer  together 
than   any   other   two  great  nations.      At  present,   our 
commerce  is  chiefly  with  England,  and  it  is  the  English 
influence  which  is  most  strongly  felt  in  our  social  habits 
and,  to  some  extent,  in  our  literature.     On  the  other 
hand,  we  draw  our  art  from   France,  and  our  science 
from  Germany,  almost  as  completely  as  if  England  did 
not  exist.     Yet,  on  the  whole,  England  is  nearest  to  us 
among  all  nations,   and   it   is  the  history   of  England 
which,  next  to  that  of  our  own  country,  needs  to  be 
studied  by  our  people. 


'I 


i 


INDEX. 


Aberdeen,    Lord,    Prime    Minister, 

308. 
Acadia,  ceded  to  England,  227. 
Act  of  Succession,  or  Settlement,  229. 
Act  of  Supremacy  (1534),  106. 
Adams,  Charles  Francis,  314. 
Adams,  John,  264. 

Addington,  Mr.,  Prime  Minister,  275. 
Agincourt,  battle  of  (14 15),  80. 
Aix-la-ChapoJle,  peace  of,  239. 
Alabama,  314. 
Albert,  Prince  Consort,  297 
Albion,  I,  2. 

Alfred,  his  government,  18. 
Allen,  Ethan,  255. 

"All  the  Talents,"  ministry  of,  277. 
Althorp,  Lord,  293. 
Amiens,  peace  of,  276. 
Andre,  Major,  260,  261. 
Angles.  12. 

Anne,  224 ;  portrait  of,  225,  228. 
Anne  of  Cleves,  109. 
Anti-Corn  Law  League,  302. 
Appeals  to   Rome,  statute  forbidding, 

104. 
Argaum,  battle  of,  279. 
Army,  abolition  of  purchase  in  the,  320. 
Arnold,  Benedict,  255,  256,  260,  261. 
Ashley,  Lord,  295. 
Assay e,  battle  of,  279. 
Attempt  to  arrest  the  Five  Members,  168. 
Atterbury,  Bishop,  exiled,  232. 
Austerlitz,  battle  of,  277. 

Bacon,  Francis,  Lord  Chancellor,  im- 
peachment of,  151. 
Bacon,  Roger,  49. 
Balliol  and  Bruce,  51. 
Ballot  Act,  321. 


Bank  of    England,   established,   221  ^ 

suspends  specie  payments,  272. 
Bannockburn,  battle  of,  55. 
Barebone's  Parliament,  186. 
Barrows,  2. 

Beachy  Head,  battle  of,  220. 
Beaconsfield,  Earl  of,  portrait  of,  323 ; 

Imperial  policy,  324. 
Bedchamber  question,  300. 
Bennington,  battle  of,  256. 
Berlin,  Congress  of,  324;  Decree,  281. 
Bill  of  Rights,  215. 
Bishops'  wars,  the,  164,  165. 
Black  Death,  62. 

Blake,  Admiral,  and  Van  Tromp,  190. 
Blenheim,  battle  of,  224. 
Bloody  Assize,  208. 
Bliicher,  282. 
Boleyn,  Anne,  102. 
Bolingbroke,  Lord,  230. 
Boston  Port  Act,  253. 
Boston,  siege  of,   254 ;    evacuated  by 

the  British,  254. 
Bosworth  Field,  battle  of,  90. 
Boyne,  battle  of  the,  219. 
Braddock,  General,  240. 
Brandywine,  battle  of,  256. 
Breda,  declaration  of,  193. 
Bretigny,  peace  of,  63. 
Bribery,  Act  against,  233. 
Bright  Clauses,  the,  320. 
Bright,  John,  302,  314,  319. 
Britain,   early  visitors   to,   6;    Roman 

conquest  of,   7  ;  Germanic  conquest 

of,  12. 
Britons,  3;  mode  of  life,  4;  religion,  5. 
Brougham,  Lord  Chancellor,  293. 
Bunker's  Hill,  battle  of,  254. 
Burgoyne,  his  campaign,  256,  258. 


t 


i 


328 


INDEX. 


INDEX. 


329 


Burke,  Edmund,  250,  262,  263,  267, 
269  ;  portrait  of,  263  ;  Reflections  on 
the  French  Revolution,  271. 

Bute,  Lord,    244,  246. 

Buxton,  Sir  Fowell,  295. 

Cade,  Jack,  rebellion  of,  83. 

Caesar,  Julius,  in  Britain,  7. 

Calais,  siege  of,  62. 

Camden,  battle  near,  259. 

Camden,  Lord  (Charles  Pratt),250,  262. 

Campbell,  Sir  Colin,  310. 

Camperdown,  battle  of,  272. 

Canada  Act,  the,  299, 

Canada,  rebellion  in,  297  ;  Dominion  of, 
299. 

Canning,  George,  277,  279,  285,  286; 
Prime  Minister,  287;  Foreign  Secre- 
tary, 286  ;  portrait  of,  288. 

Caroline  of  Brunswick,  wife  of  George 
IV.,  2S6. 

Caroline,  Queen,  wife  of  George  I L ,  234. 

Castlereagh,  Lord,  275,  277,  281,  285, 
286. 

Catholic  Association,  288  j  Emancipa- 
tion, 289;  Relief  Act,  289  ;  rent,  289. 

Catholics,  English,  laws  against,  modi- 
fied, 258. 

Cavalier  Parliament,  the,  199. 

Cawnpore,  310. 

Cecil,  Robert,  Lord  Salisbury,  137. 

Cecil,  William,  Lord  Burleigh,  121  ;  his 
death,  137,-  portrait  of,  138. 

Cedric,  II. 

Celts,  or  Kelts,  3. 

Charles  L,  153-180;  married  to  Hen- 
rietta Maria  of  France,  153;  his 
portrait,  155  ;  governs  without  Parlia- 
ment, 158;  trial  and  execution  of, 
180. 

Charles  II.,  196-208;  recognized  king 
by  Scots,  182;  overthrown  at  Wor- 
cester. 183;  his  escape,  184;  king  of 
England,  195  ;  power  of,  197  ;  por- 
trait of,  197. 
Charles  Edward,  the  Young  Pretender, 

236. 
Charleston,  attacked  by  English,  255; 

capture  of,  259. 
Charters,  confirmation  of  the,  54;  the 
People's,  306. 


Chartists,  the,  306,  307. 
Chatham,  Earl  of,  257. 
Chatham-Grafton  ministry,  250. 
Chaucer,  76;  portrait  of,  76. 
Church  rates,  abolition  of  compulsory, 

3«S- 

Churchill,   Lord,  afterwards   Duke  of 

Marlborough,  224  ;  deserts  Janies  II., 

214.     See  Marlborough. 
Civil    War,    England's    policy    during 

American,  313. 
Clarence,  Duke  of,  murder  of,  87. 
Clarendon,   Earl  of   (Edward   Hyde), 

16S,  196,  202;  his  history,  202. 
Clarkson,  Thomas,  295. 
Clearances,  the  Scottish,  238 ;  the  Irish, 

305- 
Clinton,  Sir  Henry,  259,  261. 

Cnut,  or  Canute,  19. 

Coalition,  266. 

Cobden,  Richard,  302. 

Colonies,  North  American,  origin  of, 
248. 

Commonwealth,  the,  182-187. 

Concord,  conflict  at,  254. 

Confederation,  Articles  of,  255. 

Constitutions  of  Clarendon,  36. 

Continental  Congress  of  1774,  254. 

Conventicle  Act,  the,  199. 

Convention,  the,  of  1689,  214. 

Copenhagen,  battle  of,  279. 

Copyhold  tenure,  67. 

Corn  Laws,  283,  303  ;  repeal  of  the,  304. 

Comwallis,  259,  260,  261 ;  Lord  Lieu- 
tenant of  Ireland,  275. 

Corporation  Act,  the,  199. 

Cotton  famine,  313. 

County  Clare,  election  of,  289. 

County,  orisjin  of  the,  14. 

Cowpens,  battle  of  the,  259. 

Cranmer,  Thomas,  Archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury, 104;  his  martyrdom,  116. 

Cressy,  or  Cr6cy,  battle  of,  60. 

Crimean  War,  308,  322. 

Cromlech,  2. 

Cromwell,  Oliver,  158;  his  "Iron- 
sides," 173;  his  portrait,  174;  at 
Marston  Moor,  175;  at  Newbury, 
175;  proposes  the  "New  Model," 
176;  at  Naseby,  176;  his  position  on 
religion,  177;   at  Preston,  179;  Ire- 


'/ 


// 


land,  181 J  at  Dunbar,  183 ;  at  Wor- 
cester, 183 ;  expels  Long  Parliament, 
181 ;  Lord  Protector,  187 ;  his  death, 
191  ;  his  policy,  192. 

Cromwell,  Richard,  Lord  Protector, 
192. 

Cromwell,  Thomas,  104;  his  fall,  109. 

Culloden,  battle  of,  238. 

Cumberland,  Duke  of,  in  Scotland,  238. 

Cymry,  4. 

Danes,  invade  England,  18,  19. 

Danish  fleet,  seizure  of,  279. 

Declaration  of  Rights,  215. 

Declaratory  Act,  the  (1766),  250. 

Derby,  Earl  (Lord  Stanley),  Prime 
Minister,  308;  second  ministry  of, 
311 ;  third  ministry  of,  315 

Derby,  the  Young  Pretender  at,  236, 

Despenser,  Lord,  55. 

Dettingen,  battle  of,  236. 

Disraeli,  Benjamin,  303,  304,  308,  311, 
3'5>  3^6,  322;  becomes  Earl  of 
Beaconsfield,  324. 

Dissenters,  the,  200;  relief  of  Protest- 
ant, 290. 

Divine  right  of  kings,  theory  of,  151. 

Domesday  Book,  27. 

Dover,  secret  treaty  of,  203. 

Drake,  Sir  Francis,  131-135  i  his  por- 
trait, 133. 

Drogheda,  massacre  of,  181. 

Druids,  the,  5. 

Dunbar,  battle  of,  183. 

Dunstan,  St.,  19. 

Du  Quesne,  Fort,  240. 

Durham,  Lord,  299. 

Dutch,  blockade  the  Thames,  202. 

East  India  Company,  the  English, 
140,  253,  266. 

Economical  reform,  258. 

Edgehill,  battle  of,  172. 

Edinburgh,  founded,  12. 

Edward  the  Confessor,  23, 

Edward  I.,  50-54;  conquers  Wales, 
50;  conquers  Scotland,  51. 

Edward  II.,  54-56. 

Edward  III.,  56-59;  war  with  Scot- 
land,  57 ;   war    with    France,    57 ; 


causes  of,  59;  French  crown,  succes- 
sion to,  59. 

Edward  the  Black  Prince,  63. 

Edward  IV.,  84-87. 

Edward  V.,  88. 

Edward  VI.,  111-113. 

Edwin  of  Northumbria,  12,  16. 

Egbert  of  Wessex,  16. 

Egypt,  Napoleon's  invasion  of,  272. 

Eldon,  Lord  Chancellor,  287. 

Eliot,  Sir  John,  155;  his  resolutions, 
157;  his  death,  158. 

Elizabeth,  119-139;  her  portrait,  119; 
foreign  policy  of,  128. 

Elizabethan  architecture,  140;  litera- 
ture, 142. 

Emancipation  of  slaves,  295. 

Emmett's  rebellion,  275. 

Empire,  the  British,  325. 

England,  12;  expansion  of,  325. 

English,  12;  their  religion,  13;  institu- 
tions, 13;  land  system,  14;  conver- 
sion to  Christianity,  15. 

Essex,  II 

Essex,  Earl  of,  in  Ireland,  137  ;  his  exe- 
cution, 139. 

Ethelred  "the  Unready,"  19. 

Evesham,  battle  of,  48. 

Exclusion  Bill,  the,  207. 

F's,  the  Three,  320. 

Factory  Act,  295. 

Fairfax,  General,  176. 

Falkirk,  battle  of,  52. 

Fawkes,  Guy,  147. 

Five-mile  Act,  the,  200. 

Flodden,  battle  of,  100. 

"  Forty,"  the,  236. 

Forty-shilling  freeholders  in  England, 

85  ;  in  Ireland,  289. 
Fourteenth    century,    importance    of, 

73 ;  financial  policy  in,   "j^ ;  clothes, 

74  ;  foreign  commerce,  74  ;  the  guilds, 

75  ;  rise  of  English  language  during, 
76. 

Fox,  Charles  James,  251,  262,  264; 
India  Bill,  266,  267, 271 ;  death  of,  277. 

Fox,  Henry,  afterwards  Lord  Holland, 
239,  246. 

France,  war  with  (141 5),  79-80;  alli- 
ance between  America  and,  257 ;  war 


330 


INDEX. 


J 


with  (1793),  271  ;  war  with,  renewed 
(1803),  276. 

Franchise,  restricted,  85. 

Franchises,  the  Fancy,  311. 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  264. 

Frederick  the  Great  of  Prussia,  236, 
240,  243. 

French,  the,  in  America,  240. 

French  and  Indian  War,  causes  of,  240. 

French  revolution,  effect  of,  on  Eng- 
land, 271. 

Gaels,  or  Goidels,  3. 

Gates,  General  Horatio,  256,  259. 

Gaveston,  execution  of,  54. 

General  warrants,  the  case  of,  246. 

Geneva  award,  315. 

Geoffrey  of  Anjou,  marries  Maud,  ;^;^. 

George,  Elector  of  Hanover,  229. 

George  I.,  229-233;  portrait  of,  231. 

George  II.,  234-243;  portrait  of,  237. 

George  III.,  244-284;  his  policy,  244; 
portrait  of,  284;  death  of,  285. 

George  IV.,  286-295  ;  death  of,  290. 

Germaine,  Lord  George,  261 ;  becomes 
Lord  Sackville,  262. 

Germanic  race,  10. 

Germantown,  battle  of,  256. 

Ghent,  treaty  of,  282. 

Gibraltar,  seizure  of,  226 ;  relief  of, 
265. 

Gladstone,  W.  E.,  296,  305,  312,  313, 
315,  316,319,322,324;  Prime  Minis- 
ter, 316,  325  ;  portrait  of,  318. 

Glencoe,  massacre  of,  222. 

Godwin,  Earl  of  Wessex,  22. 

Grafton,  Duke  of.  Prime  Minister,  250. 

Grasse,  Count  de,  261,  265. 

Grattan,  Henry,  273. 

Great  Britain,  Union  of,  with  Ireland, 
275. 

Great  Fire  of  London,  201. 

Greene,  General,  259. 

Grenville,  George,  Prime  Minister,  246  ; 
colonial  policy  of,  248,  249  ;  dismissed 
from  office,  249. 

Grenville,  Lord,  Prime  Minister,  277. 

Grey,  Earl,  Prime  Minister,  293,  294. 

Grey,  Lady  Jane,  112. 

Guilds,  75. 

Guilford  Court-house,  battle  of,  259. 


Guinegaste,  battle  of,  100. 
Gunpowder  Plot,  146. 

Habeas  Corpus  Act,  206. 
Hales,  Sir  Edward,  case  of,  210. 
Halidon  Hill,  battle  of,  57. 
Hampden,   John,      case   of,    160;   his 

death,  172. 
Hampton  Court  Conference,  149. 
Harold  of    Wessex,    23,    24 ;    elected 

king,  24. 
Hastings,  battle  of,  24. 
Hastings,  Warren,  267  ;  trial  of,  269. 
Havelock,  310. 
Henry  I.,  31. 

Henry  II.,  35-39;  effigy  of,  38. 
Henry  III.,  46-49. 
Henry  of  Lancaster,  claims  the  throne, 

71 ;  crowned  king  as  Henry  IV.,  72, 

77,  78. 

Henry  V.,  78-81. 

Henry  VI.,  S2-85. 

Henry  VII.,  95-97. 

Henry  VIII.,  98-1 10  ;  the  Spanish  mar- 
riage, 98  ;  portrait  of,  99  ;  war  with 
France  and  with  Scotland,  100  ;  and 
Francis  I.,  loi  ;  divorce  from  Katha- 
rine, 102. 

Herkimer,  General,  256. 

High  Commission,  Court  of,  130. 

House  of  Commons,  origin  of,  53,  65 ; 
acts  without  king  or  peers,  180;  ex- 
pelled by  Cromwell,  186;  restored 
by  the  army  officers,  192. 

Howards,  the,  102. 

Howe,  General,  258. 

Hundred,  the,  14, 

Hunt,  Mr.  "Orator,"  284. 

Huskisson,  Mr.,  301. 

Hutchinson,  governor  of  Massachu- 
setts, 253. 

Iberian,  3. 

leme,  i,  3. 

Income  tax,  the,  302. 

Independence,    American    Declaration 

of,  255. 
"Independents,''  the,  177. 
Indemnity  and  Oblivion,  Act  of  (1662), 

197. 
Indulgence,  Declaration  of  (1672),  204  ; 

(1688),  211. 


INDEX. 


331 


^ 


Instrument  of  government,  186. 

Invincible  Armada,  the,  132. 

Ireland,  Poynings'  Law,  135 ;  Estab- 
lished Church  of,  135  ;  rebellion  in, 
136;  English  settlement  of,  136; 
Strafford  in,  164  ;  rebellion  in  (164 1), 
168 ;  Cromwellian  settlement  of,  181  ; 
condition  of,  in  eighteenth  century, 
2y^ ;  rebellion  in,  274 ;  Union  with 
Great  Britain,  275;  famine  in,  303, 
305  ;  rebellion  in  (1848),  306  ;  Young, 
306;  land  system  of,  316;  Estab- 
lished Church  of,  disestablished,  316. 

Irish  Land  Act  (1870),  3i6;(i88i),  320. 

Irishmen,  the  United,  274. 

Jacobite  Plot,  the  (1715),  230; 
(1721),  232;  rising,  the  (1745),  236. 

Jacobites,  origin  of  the  name,  214. 

Jamaica  Bill,  299. 

James  I.,  144-152;  his  character,  144; 
portrait  of,  150;  his  theory  of  "di- 
vine right,"  151;  persecuted  the 
Puritans,  149. 

James  II.,  208-215. 

Jay,  John,  264. 

Jeffreys,  Chief  Justice,  208. 

Jenkins's  ears,  234. 

Jews,  admitted  to  Parliament,  311. 

Jingo  policy,  324. 

Joan  of  Arc,  82. 

John,  41-45  ;  loses  Normandy,  41  ;  the 
interdict,  42 ;  submits  to  the  Pope, 
42  ;  his  death,  44. 

Jutes,  10. 

Katharine  of  Arragon,  98-103. 

Kent,  kingdom  of,  11. 

Keppel,  Admiral,  262. 

King  Arthur,  99. 

King's  Friends,  251. 

King's  Mountain,  battle  of,  259. 

Laborers,  first  statute  of,  67. 
Lafayette,  259,  260,  261. 
La  Hogue,  battle  of,  221. 
Lake,  General,  274. 
Land  Act,  316  ;  second,  320. 
Lanfranc,  28. 

Langton,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
42. 


Laud,  William,  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, 159 ;  his  reactionary  policy,  159. 

Lee,  Charles,  258. 

Leipzig,  battle  of,  281. 

Lewes,  battle  of,  47. 

Lexington,  conflict  at,  254. 

Liverpool,  Lord,  Prime  Minister,  285  ; 
death  of,  287. 

Llewelyn,  Prince  of  Wales,  56. 

Lollards,  66. 

Londonderry,  Duke  of,  218. 

Long  Parliament,  the,  165-194. 

Lord  George  Gordon  riots,  258. 

Lords,  House  of,  295. 

Louis  XVIII.,  281,  282. 

Louisburg,  the  capture  of  (1745),  239. 

Luddites,  283. 


Macaulay,  Thomas  Babbington, 
Lord,  294. 

Macdonald,  Flora,  238. 

Magna  Charta,  43. 

Major-Generals,  the,  189. 

Maintenance,  yS. 

Malta,  seized  by  Napoleon,  272. 

Manchester  massacre,  285. 

Marlborough,  Duke  of,  214,  224,  225. 

Marston  Moor,  battle  of,  175. 

Mary  I.,  114-118;  portrait  of,  115; 
marries  Philip  II.  of  Spain,  114;  the 
martyrs,  116;  her  death,  117. 

Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  125 ;  her  por- 
trait, 127;  her  claims  to  the  English 
throne,  126  ;  execution  of,  131. 

Massachusetts  Government  Act,  253. 

Melbourne,  Lord,  296,  297,  300. 

Mercia,  12. 

Methodists,  rise  of  the,  234. 

Middlesex,  99;  elections,  251. 

Milton,  John,  187;  portrait  of,  185. 

Ministry,  formation  of  a,  230. 

Monasteries,  dissolution  of,  106 ;  effect 
of,  107. 

Monk,  General,  193;  declares  for  a  free 
Parliament,  193. 

Monmouth,  Duke  of,  207,  208 ;  rebel- 
lion of,  208. 

Monmouth,  battle  of,  257. 

Monroe  doctrine,  287. 

Mortimer,  56,  57. 


...J  ,-.'«a3K.jMA.J.t^v«;.  -g 


332 


INDEX. 


Mosaic  Ministry,  250. 

Mutiny  Bill,  the,  annulled,  216. 

Napoleon,  272,  273,  275-279;  abdi- 
cation of,  281,  282. 

Napoleon,  Louis,  307,  308,  310,  311. 

Naseby,  battle  of,  176. 

Navigation  Ordinance,  189. 

Navigation  Laws,  repeal  of,  308. 

Nelson,  Admiral,  273  ;  death  of,  276  ; 
portrait  of,  278. 

Newbury,  battle  of,  175. 

Newcastle,  Duke  of,  236;  Prime  Min- 
ister, 240;  coalition  with  Pitt,  241, 

New  Forest,  the,  28. 

New  Model  army,  176. 

New  Style,  239. 

Nicholas,  Czar  of  Russia,  308. 

Nightingale,  Florence,  309. 

Nile,  battle  of  the,  273. 

Nore,  mutiny  at  the,  272. 

Norfolk,  Duke  of,  289. 

Nonjurors,  218. 

Norman  Conquest,  23-28  ;  effects  of  the, 
26. 

North  Briton,  the,  246. 

North,  Lord,  250;  Prime  Minister, 
251;  plan  of  reconciliation  with 
America,  257,  258;  fall  of,  261; 
coalition  with  Fox,  266,  268. 

Northmen,  or  Norsemen,  17. 

Northumbria,  12. 

Dates,  Titus,  205. 
O'Connell,  Daniel,  288,  289. 
Orangemen,  Society  of,  274. 
Orders  in  Council,  281. 
Orsini,  310. 
Out-door  relief,  296. 

Pains  and  Penalties,  Bill  of,  286. 
Palmerston,  Lord,  307-310,  312,  314, 

315- 
Paris,  peace  at  (1 763),  245;  (1856),  309. 
Parliament,  first  legal,  53;  separation 

into  two  houses,  65  ;  in  the  fifteenth 

century,  93,   94 ;    duration  of,  230 ; 

debates  in,  published,  25 1 ;  the  Short, 

165  ;  the  Long,  165-194. 
Peasants'  revolt,  68. 
Peel,  Sir  Robert,  287,  288,  294,  296; 


Prime  Minister,  300,  301 ;  portrait  of, 
304  ;  fall  of,  305. 
Peelites,  the,  305. 
Pelham,  Henry,  236. 
Peninsular  War,  279. 
Penn,  Admiral,  seizes  Jamaica,  190. 
Perceval,  Spencer,  Prime  Minister,  277  j 

death  of,  2S5. 
Peterloo,  285. 

Petition  and  Advice,  the,  190. 
Petition  of  Right,  154. 
Philadelphia,  evacuation  of,  257. 
Pitt,  William,  afterwards  Earl  of  Chat- 
ham, Paymaster  of  the  Forces,  239 ; 
portrait  of,  240  ;  coalition  with  New- 
castle, 241;   resigns,   244;   becomes 
Earl  of  Chatham,  250. 
Pitt,    William     (the    younger),      264; 
Prime  Minister,  267;  financial  policy 
of,  268  ;  portrait  of,  268 ;  India  Bill, 
268-271;   repressive  policy  of,  272; 
resignation  of,  275  ;  death  of,  277. 
Plague,  the,  199. 
Plantagenets,  the  later,  71. 
Pocket  boroughs,  292. 
Poitiers,  battle  of,  63. 
Poor  Law  of  Elizabeth,  142. 
Poor  I^w,  Reform  of,  296. 
Popish  plot,  205. 
Poynings'  Law,  135. 
Praemunire,  statute  of,  66. 
Pratt,  Charles,  later  Lord  Camden,  247. 
Preston,  battle  of,  179. 
Preston  Pans,  battle  of,  236. 
Pretender,  the  Old,  born,  212. 
Pride's  Purge,  179. 
Printing,  91. 

Protection,  overthrow  of,  301. 
Protectionists,  301. 
Protector  Somerset,  iii. 
Protectorate,  the,  1 88- 195. 
Protestation,  the  Great,  152. 
Prynne,  William,  159-162. 
Puritans,  the,    123-125,    131;    under 
Elizabeth,    123  ;  under  James,    149 ; 
ideas  of  the,  194  ;  emigration  to  New 
England,  125-163. 
Pym,  John,  impeaches  Strafford,  166  ; 
ideas  on  religion,  168 ;  attempt  to  ar- 
rest, 169 ;  seeks  aid  of  the  Scots,  172  ; 
his  death,  173. 


INDEX. 


333 


Quebec,  attacked  by  Americans,  255. 
Quebec  Act,  254. 

Raleigh,  Sir  Walter,  143  ;  portrait  of, 

Reform  Act,  of  1832,  causes  of,  291  ; 
First,  294;  Second,3i5;  Third,  321. 

Regency,  285. 

Regency  question,  249,  269. 

Regicides,  the,  198. 

Remonstrance,  the  Grand,  168. 

Responsible  government,  origin  of,  217. 

Restoration,  the,  194. 

Richard  L,  39 ;  his  place  in  history,  40. 

Richard  II.,  68-72;  his  abdication,  70. 

Richard  III.,  88-90;  his  character,  88. 

Riot  Act,  230. 

Rochambeau,  Marquis,  260,261. 

Rochelle,  attempt  to  relieve,  154. 

Rockingham,  Marquis  of,  250,  262-264, 
274. 

Rodney,  Admiral,  265. 

Roman  walls,  7 ;  roads,  8. 

Romans,  conquer  Britain,  7 ;  leave  Bri- 
tain, 9. 

Roses,  Wars  of  the,  begin,  84. 

Rothschild,  Baron,  311. 

Rump  Parliament,  the,  184 ;  expelled 
by  Cromwell,  186;  restored,  192. 

Russell,  Lord  John,  introduces  first 
Reform  Bill,  293;  Prime  Minister, 
305,  307,  308;  portrait  of,  312;  be- 
comes Earl  Russell,  314,  315. 

Rye-house  plot,  207. 

St.  Helena,  Napoleon  at,  283. 
St.  Leger,  256. 
Salisbury,  oath  of,  27. 
Saratoga,  surrender  at,  256. 
Saxons,  11. 

Scotland,  united  with  England,  227. 
Scottish  Kirk,  the,  163. 
Scottish  national  covenant,  164. 
Schuyler,  Philip,  256. 
Sebastopol,  siege  of,  309. 
Sedgemoor,  battle  of,  208. 
Self-denying  Ordinance,  176 
Senlac,  or  Hastings,  battle  of,  24. 
Sepoy  mutiny,  309. 
Septennial  Act,  230. 
Settlement,  Act  of,  229. 


Seven  Bishops,  the,  211;  acquittal  of, 
212. 

Seymour,  Jane,  108. 

Shelburne,  Lord,  250,  262,  264,  266. 

Sheridan,  267. 

Shield-money,  orscutage,  36. 

Ship-money,  160. 

Simon  of  Montfort,  47;  his  Parlia- 
ment, 48, 

Simnel,  Lambert,  95. 

Six  Acts,  285. 

Six  Articles,  Act  of  the,  108. 

Slaves,  emancipation  of,  295. 

Sluys,  battle  of,  60. 

Sophia,  Electress  of  Hanover,  229. 

South-Sea  bubble,  230. 

Spain,  war  with  (1739),  236;  resist- 
ance of,  to  Napoleon,  279 ;  rising  m, 
in  1820,  287. 

Specie  payments,  suspended,  272. 

Spithead,  mutiny  at,  272. 

Stamp  Act,  the,  passed,  249;  repealed, 
250. 

Stanley,  Lord,  304. 

Stanley,  Mr.,  294. 

Stanwix,  Fort,  256. 

Star  Chamber,  court  of,  96. 

Stephen,  33,  34. 

Steuben,  General,  256. 

Stonehenge,  5. 

Strafford,  Thomas  Wentworth,  Earl  of, 
164-167  ;   impeachment  of,  166  ;  at- 
tainder and  execution  of,  167. 
Stuart  kings,  143. 
Stuart,  Lady  Arabella,  146. 
Stuart  rising,  the  (i745)'  236. 
Succession,  Act  of,  229. 
Suez  Canal,  323. 
Sussex,  II. 
Swend,  the  Dane,  19. 

Talavera,  battle  of,  279. 

Tamworth  Manifesto,  296. 

Tarleton,  Colonel,  259. 

Tax,  the  income,  302. 

Tea  Party,  the  Boston,  253. 

Test  Act,  204. 

Teutonic  race,  10. 

Thomas  Becket,  36,  37. 

"  Thorough,"  government  of,  164. 

Thurlow,  Lord  Chancellor,  262. 


334 


INDEX. 


Tories,  origin  of  the  name,  207. 

Torres  Vedras,  lines  of,  279. 

Town  meeting,  14. 

Townshend,  Charles,  Chancellor  of  the 

Exchequer,  250;  introduces  bills  to 

tax  colonial  imports,  250. 
Townshend  duties,  the,  250. 
Township,  the,  14. 

Toulouse,  surrender  of  French  at,  280. 
Trafalgar,  battle  of,  276. 
Treaty  at  Versailles  and  Paris,  265. 
Trenton,  surprise  of  British  outposts 

at,  255. 
Troyes,  treaty  of,  80. 

Ulm,  capitulation  of,  277. 

Ulster  custom,  319. 

Uniformity,  Act  of,  123. 

Union  with  Ireland,  Act  of,  275. 

United  Irishmen,  society  of,  274. 

United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain,  227. 

United  States,  independence  of,  ac- 
knowledged, 264  ;  treaty  with,  264 ; 
war  with,  281. 

Utrecht,  treaty  of,  226. 

Valley  Forge,  camp  at,  256. 

Vane,  Sir  Henry,  introduces  the  Navi- 
gation Ordinance,  189;  executed,  198 

Victoria,  297-326;  portrait  of,  296. 

Vienna,  Congress  at,  282. 

Vikings,  17. 

Villeinage,  abolition  of,  92. 

Villiers,   Duke    of   Buckingham, 
153;  his  murder,  156. 

Vinegar  Hill,  battle  of,  274. 

Vittoria,  battle  of,  280. 

Volunteers,  the  Protestant,  273. 

Voting,  Australian  system,  329, 


Wallace,  Sir  William,  52. 
Walpole,  Sir  Robert,  Prime  Minister, 
232-236 ;  First  Lord  of  the  Treasury, 


151- 


232 ;   cabinet,  232  ;  his  policy,  233  ; 
portrait  of,  235. 

War  of  181 2,  282. 

Warbeck,  Perkin,  96. 

Warwick,  the  king-maker,  86. 

Washington,  George,  240  ;  commander- 
in-chief,  254,  261. 

Wat  Tyler,  68. 

Wat  Tyrrel,  31. 

Waterloo,  campaign  of,  282. 

Wedmore,  18. 

Wellesley,  Arthur,  Duke  of  Welling- 
ton, 279. 

Wellington,  Duke  of,  279-282,  287-289, 
293,  294,  296,  300,  301,  307;  por- 
trait, 280. 

Welsh  bards,  51. 

Wessex,  11. 

Whigs,  origin  of  the  name,  207. 

White  Plains,  battle  of ,  255. 

White  Ship,  the  story  of  the,  32. 

Wilberforce,  William,  295. 

Wilkes,  John,  246,  251. 

William  of  Normandy,  24 ;  claim  to 
England,  25  ;  crowned  William  I., 
25 ;  his  death,  29. 

William  II., 30. 

William  of  Orange,  marries  Mary  of 
England,  204;  lands  at  Torbay,  213. 

William  III.  and  Mary  II.,  215-224; 
portraits  of,  218,  219;  foreign  policy 
of,  220-224. 

William  IV.,  291-296. 

Witenagemot,  15. 

Wolsey,  Cardinal,  100-104 ;  his  fall, 
103. 

Worcester,  battle  of,  183. 

Wycliffe,  John,  66. 

York,  James,  Duke  of,  202,  204,  205  ; 
bill  to  exclude  from  the  succession, 
207  ;  crowned  King  James  II.,  208. 

York  and  Lancaster  kings,  81. 

Yorktown,  capture  of,  261. 


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Bradley  f  I^atea,  Engr't. S.y, 


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A  STUDENT'S    HISTORY   OF   ENGLAND,  from 
the  Earliest  Times  to  1885. 

By  Samuel  Rawson  Gardiner,  M.A.,  LL.D.,  Fellow  of  All  Souls 
College,  Oxford,  etc.;  Author  of  "The  History  of  England  from  the 
Accession  of  James  I.  to  1642,"  etc.  Illustrated  under  the  superintend- 
ence of  Mr.  W.  H.  St.  John  Hope,  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Society 
of  Antiquaries,  and  with  the  assistance  in  the  choice  of  Portraits  of 
Mr.  George  Scharf,  C.B.,  F.S.A.,  who  is  recognized  as  the  highest 
authority  on  the  subject.  In  one  Volume,  with  378  Illustrations  and 
full  Index.     Crown  8vo,  cloth,  plain,  $3.00. 

The  hook  is   also  published  in  three  Volumes   {each  with  Index  and 
Table  of  Contents^  as  folloios  : 

VOLUME  I. — B.C.  55-A.D.  1509.     410  pp.     With  173  Illustrations  and  Index. 
Crown  8vo,  $1.20. 

VOLUME  II.— A. D.    1509-1689.      332  pp.      With  96  Illustrations  and   Index. 

Crown  Bvo,  $1.20. 
VOLUME  III.— A.D.   1689-1885.     374  pp.      With  109  Illustrations  and  Index. 

Crown  8vo,  $1.20. 


* 


Gardiner's  "Student's  History  of  England,"  through  Part  IX.  (to 
1789),  is  recommended  by  HARVARD  UNIVERSITY  as  indicating  the 
requirements  for  admission  in  this  subject ;  and  the  ENTIRE  work  is  made 
the  basis  for  English  Mstory  study  in  the  University. 

YALE   UNIVERSITY. 

"  Gardiner's  '  Student's  History  of  England '  seems  to  me  an  admirable 
short  history.''— Prof.  C.  H.  Smith,  New  Haven,  Conn. 

TRINITY  COLLEGE,  HARTFORD. 

"  It  is,  in  my  opinion,  by  far  the  best  advanced  school  history  of  England 
that  I  have  ever  seen.  It  is  clear,  concise,  and  scientific,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
attractive  and  interesting.  The  illustrations  are  very  good  and  a  valuable 
addition  to  the  book,  as  they  are  not  mere  pretty  pictures,  but  of  real  historical 
and  archaeological  interest." — Prof.  Henry  Ferguson. 

"A  unique  feature  consists  of  the  very  numerous  illustrations.  They 
throw  light  on  almost  every  phase  of  English  life  in  all  ages.  .  .  .  Never, 
perhaps,  in  such  a  treatise  has  pictorial  illustration  been  used  with  so  good 
effect.  The  alert  teacher  will  find  here  ample  material  for  useful  lessons  by 
leading  the  pupil  to  draw  the  proper  inferences  and  make  the  proper  interpre- 
tations and  comparisons.  .  .  .  The  style  is  compact,  vigorous,  and  inter- 
esting. There  is  no  lack  of  precision  ;  and,  in  the  selection  of  the  details,  the 
hand  of  the  scholar  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  source  and  with  the  results 
of  recent  criticism  is  plainly  revealed." — The  Nation,  N.  Y. 

" .  .  .  It  is  illustrated  by  pictures  of  real  value  ;  and  when  accompanied 
by  the  companion  '  Atlas  of  English  History'  is  all  that  need  be  desired  for  its 
special  purpose." — The  Churchman,  N.  Y. 

*^*.-/  prospectus  and  specimen  pages  of  Gardiner'' s  "  Studenfs  History 
of  England''"'  will  be  sent  free  on  application  to  the  publishers. 


LONGMANS,  GREEN,  &  CO.,  15  East  Sixteenth  Street,  New  York. 


m^f^^mg^ 


# 

iBpocbe  of  Hmerican  Ibietor?* 

Edited  by  ALBERT  BUSHNELL  HART,  Ph.D., 

Assistant  Professor  of  It istory  in  Harvard  UniTersity. 

\ 

\\  ESSRS.  LONGMANS,  GREEN,  &  CO.  take  pleasure  in  announc- 
i  V  1       ing  the  completion  of  their  series  published,  in  three  volumes, 
under  the  general  title  of  Epochs  of  American  History.     Each  vol- 
ume contains  specially  prepared  maps,  working  bibliographies,  and  full 
index.     The  maps  in  the  three  volumes  have  also  been  republished  sepa- 
rately under  the  title  Ei'ocH  Maps  Illustrating  American  History. 
The    series  is    issued    under   the   editorship    of    Dr.  Albert    Bushnell 
Hart,  Assistant  Professor  of  History  in  Harvard  University,  as  follows  : 

I.     The  Colonies,  1492- 1750.     Uy  Reuben  Gold  Thvvaites,   Secre- 
tary of  the  State   Historical  Society  of    Wisconsin  ;    editor   of    the 
Wisconsin  Historical  Collections  ;  author  of  '*  Historic  Waterways," 
*'The    Story    of    Wisconsin,"    etc.     With    four   colored    maps,  pp. 
xviii,  301.      Fourth  edition  now  ready.     Cloth,  $1.25. 

'  II.     The  Formation  of  the  Union,   1750-1829.     By  Albert  Bush- 
nell   Hart,    A.  B.,    Ph.D.,    Assistant     Professor    of    History    in 
Harvard    University ;    member    of    the    Massachusetts    Historical 
Society  ;    author  of  '*  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Federal  Govern- 
ment,"  "  Practical    Essays  on  American  Government,"  etc.     With 
five  colored  maps,  pp.  xx,  278.     Second  edition  now  ready.     Cloth, 
f  1.25. 

III.     Division  and    Reunion,   1829- 1889.     By  Woodrow  Wilson, 
Ph.D.,  LL.D.,  Professor  of  Jurisprudence  and   Political  Economy 
in  Princeton   University;  author  of  **  Congressional    Government," 
*•  The    State — Elements   of    Historical  and  Practical  Politics,"  etc. 
With  five  colored  maps,  pp.  xix,  326.      Second    edition  now  ready. 
Cloth,  $1.25. 

Epoch  Maps,  illustrating  American  History.     By  Albert  Bush- 
nell Hart,  A.  B.,  Ph.D.     P'ourteen  colored  maps.     Second  edition. 
Limp,  oblong,  50  cents  net. 

LONGMANS,  GREEN,  &  CO.,  Publishers, 

15    EAST     16th    STREET,    NEW    YORK. 

t 

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